Bound For Glory
by GrandmaCleverboots
Summary: Kurt is assaulted after singing at a school dance and is left for dead aboard a traincar at the freight yard to hide the crime. He wakes when he's thrown off the car in an Oregon logging camp. Blaine finds Kurt and protects him from the people looking for him by teaching him to survive. Burt finds them and the boys come home for the hate crime trial.
1. Chapter 1 - Train

All Kurt knew for sure was that it was dark; so dark he couldn't make out his hand in front of his face. That was dark. And his head hurt. And he was thirsty beyond belief.

He sat up, feeling the steady vibrations underneath him and realizing what his subconscious had known for hours: he was on a train. That was the only logical conclusion given the darkness, the smell of rotting hay in the enclosed space, and the incessant rumbling through the floor that would slow down on occasion, but never stop. Kurt had never been on a train before – though his mind's picture of a sleek clean Japanese bullet train was so far from this reality that it didn't bear thinking about. Damn, his head hurt.

He lifted his hand to touch the offending pain in his head and found what he assumed was blood, some dried and some still sticky, a little that was still seeping from the ragged gash, and he could smell it. He had always been able to detect odors better than anyone he knew, but it came with a price: smells really bothered him.

He was in the middle of the train car, wrapped in an old packing blanket and covered over with dead straw. He knew his jacket was ruined. It was dry clean only, an angora and silk blend in powder blue shaded to navy. He had paid more than five months wages for this jacket, already on sale because the pocket was ripped. Kurt was handy with a needle and thread, so he got a lot of bargains by this method. His pants might be salvageable, though the thought of ever wearing them again after this ordeal was over was a bit...he didn't know. This was not the time to be making elaborate plans of any kind.

He began to think about how he had gotten here.

Kurt wasn't one of the popular kids at McKinley High. He sang in the Glee club, and his countertenor voice didn't earn him a lot of dates. He had made a few friends, but most days were spent dodging the never-ending string of bullies that roamed the halls. A week didn't go by that he didn't get a slushie to the face or his back slammed into a locker.

Last night he had been at a school dance, not that he had a date or anything, but the Glee Club was singing. He had hung around a little later than usual, waiting for most of the crowd to leave so he could walk to his car unimpeded. But that plan backfired on him.

Walking quickly across the parking lot, he heard footsteps behind him. He walked faster, but the footsteps increased both in speed and number until he was running. He could hear the muttering of the people chasing him, the words that he tried not to think about coming at him like stones thrown at his body and he cringed as if they had physically struck him.

It wasn't until he tripped over a foot placed in his path with a hand pushing him down that he turned to face his attackers. Some had wooden baseball bats, or just rough sticks picked up in the park on the way here. He tried to beg them to leave him alone, tried to get to his cell phone to call for help, and finally shouted to see if any of the teachers were left on the school grounds. All to no avail.

The last thing he saw was a broken bottle coming for his head. He felt the cold glass strike his temple, a resounding ringing sound traveling throughout his head as the noise and the pain receded into the distance.

He might have woken up a little because he vaguely remembered hearing an argument, one boy thinking he was dead, another worried they might be caught and prosecuted for a hate crime. He knew the voices, knew who these people were, so he pretended he was unconscious so they wouldn't hit him again. He was shoved into the backseat of a car and driven somewhere, but he was not able to stay awake the whole time, drifting in and out, so time and distance and direction were all a blur in his mind.

And then he was being lifted, the voice of the boy laughing as they put him somewhere...and saying that by the time he woke up, he'd be so far away he wouldn't even know where he was. And he passed out.

Now, here he was, cold and shivering, on a smelly train in the dark, in terrible pain and lost. Kurt finally just closed his eyes and let the rocking of the train car lull him back to sleep. And they were right, he had no idea where he was.

%#%#%#%#

Blaine was looking for bits of coal near the railroad track. He had on his warmest shirt, a flannel one with big red checks, and the pea coat his brother had outgrown years ago. The sun wasn't going to shine today, but that was nothing unusual here in the Oregon lumber camp where he lived above the valley floor. It overlooked the deep chasm of the riverbed here, but they built it so they could oversee the logs coming down the river to the pond for loading onto the freight train. Moving logs by water was as old as time itself, and they did it just the same way their ancestors had been moving logs out of the Oregon forests for two centuries. The camp was much the way camps had been for all those years, no electricity save the generators in a few of the buildings, no running water except for the kitchen at the cook house, and that was gravity-fed for fifty years before most of these loggers had been born. While much of the food and other supplies came into the camps through the freight trains, the men also trapped and fished, gathered and hunted to supplement their diets. They used coal, but also wood to cook and stay warm. It might just as well have been 1912 as 2012 if the way they lived here were compared. Another thing that was much the same as it was a hundred years ago was that they considered all the men in the camp to be their family, and all outsiders to be dangerous. That, at least, hadn't changed a bit.

There wasn't much to do here, Blaine was too small to be a lumberjack like his dad and brother, so he usually helped the cook. His mother was gone since he was an infant, though nobody in the camp knew if it was because she died or left - and his father had just brought him to camp with him when he was but a week old, watching over him with his other son, Cooper, until Blaine was able to take care of himself. He had been a sort of pet or mascot of the camp, and left to stay here where weakness was usually chewed up and spit back to the city when it was detected. A lot of people thought of Blaine as their little brother or son, someone that needed protection, and some of them resented it that the boy was allowed to live here without being physically able to be a lumberjack like the rest of them, they felt he hadn't really paid his dues. But the number of Blaine's supporters vastly outweighed the number of his detractors, so he stayed, doing what he could to help in the cook house.

Today he was gathering spilled coal – it was free if you were fast enough and he was cold in the cabin. He saw a few big nuggets, easy to get at, and dodged across the tracks to grab them and put them in his basket. Stepping on the track he could feel the vibration of the night freight on it's way, so it must be almost six. The loaders would be here in a few minutes to start up the big machines to unload the freight for the camp, so the boy hurried and walked to the bushes across the tracks to a comfortable hiding place so he could see if anything was dropped in the unloading.

Sitting on a downed log, Blaine set the basket of coal behind a bush to retrieve later and closed his eyes to think up a story in his head to amuse himself until the freight cars were unloaded. He reached into his pocket and drew out a sandwich wrapped in paper, his mouth watering with the anticipation of tasting the bread slathered with butter and a little bit of goat cheese -thin sliced and salty on his tongue. He had filled a bottle with water and there was an apple, cut in half, too. He sat back to wait.

The train pulled into the yard, the whistle shrill and the smell of diesel thick in the air. The loaders got up off the benches to start unloading, there were clerks with reams of paperwork secured to clipboards and pencils behind their ears to check the boxes coming off the train. It would be busy for about 45 minutes, then quiet as everyone left to go about their business moving freight or going back to the company office.

As Blaine watched, there was a quick inspection of the cars at the end that were being moved across country, but not to be unloaded here. The railroad employees whose job it was to do this were large men, like bouncers at a bar, so they could throw any hobo unfortunate enough to get caught off the train car, usually with a bloody nose and a black eye at the very least. Sometimes with broken bones if they put up a fight.

The big guy with the mustache was coming out of the last car before the caboose, dragging a body with him. The boy hoped it wasn't a dead body, every once in a while they would find one. If the person wasn't dead, he was at least unconscious as the big bouncer laid his body on the ground over by the bushes so it wouldn't get run over by the freight loaders.

There wasn't much to pick up when the supplies were unloaded and moved off, but he did find some carrots, turnips, and an onion that had fallen under the cars. They were only a little damaged and would do fine in a stew. He looked around to make sure nobody was left to see him and walked over to the body left in the bushes.

Blaine looked at the body and saw he wasn't dead, just unconscious. He was maybe Blaine's own age, about sixteen, but a bit taller. He was wearing tight black jeans and a white shirt, a light jacket of some sort of very soft, but hardly warm, fabric and shiny boots. Definitely not from around here. And that jacket wasn't going to keep him either warm or dry. As Blaine leaned over to see if he was breathing okay, the boy woke up and stared at Blaine, then opened his mouth to catch raindrops, closing his eyes again. He looked bad, a still-bleeding gash on his face, bruises all over his arms and face, torn clothes and a split lip.

Blaine got down on his knees and helped the boy sit up, then rummaged in his pocket and produced a water bottle, only half empty and removed the cap.

"Thirsty?" he asked.

The boy looked at him with bright eyes -blue and green and gray all at once. Blaine held out the bottle to him and he took it, drinking about half of what was in the bottle in one breath, and thanked him in a quiet, scratchy voice. It was only a drink of water, but the boy looked better already.

"Where?" he said, shrugging his shoulders and looking around.

"Warner Lumber Camp," he answered. Kurt looked even more looked puzzled. "Oregon," Blaine said.

The bright blue eyes got wide and a gasp escaped from his throat. "On the west coast?"

"Ah, yeah...?" Where else would it be?

The boy closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

"Are you able to walk? I need to get you out of here before the bouncers come back. You were lucky you were unconscious, they don't take to people hitching in the empties. Come with me. My name is Blaine."

"Kurt."

Blaine led Kurt back to the cabin and let him sit down at the small table. "Hungry?"

Kurt nodded. "Is there more water? I was on that train for days I think, and all I could find to drink was the rain pooling under the door."

Blaine went to a cupboard and got another bottle he had filled with water at the kitchen shed and brought it to Kurt. He knew better than to ask too many questions, that wasn't appreciated in a place like this, but this boy, this Kurt, was a mystery.

Kurt drank most of the water and Blaine dug into his pocket and brought out the second sandwich and the other half of the apple and set them down in front of Kurt.

"Thank you," Kurt said, but looked at Blaine. "Where's yours?"

"I ate while I watched them unload, go ahead." Kurt picked up the sandwich, which was a bit worse for wear, and took a bite. It was ambrosia to his hungry palette. Blaine took the vegetables out of his pocket and got busy scraping the carrots and turnips before cutting them up and placing them in a pot on the back of the little wood stove in the corner. Kurt could smell some sort of meat cooking in the broth, but couldn't discern what kind. It smelled like heaven. Kurt finished the cheese sandwich and drank the last of the water, and Blaine set another bottle down in front of him.

"Now, let me see what I can do about cleaning those cuts up for you."

Blaine cleaned the gash on Kurt's forehead, but it was still seeping a bit of blood, so he wound a piece of fabric, torn from an old apron, around it. There were other cuts and bruises all over Kurt. He'd been brutally beaten, but sustained no broken bones, other than the ribs on his left side where one of the boys had kicked him with steel-toed boots, so he counted himself lucky. Blaine didn't. He was worried about several of the bruises, but he couldn't really do anything about it. Maybe a poultice later to draw the soreness out?

They sat in comfortable silence, just looking out the window, Blaine getting up from time to time to stir the stew or put another stick of wood in the stove, once to get a drink. He watched this new boy, seeing if he was wobbly or anything with that great gash on his head and the big lump under it. Blaine had seen plenty of fights, the camp was filled with them on payday, but none that left the men this bad off. Kurt looked like he'd been systematically beaten, and by more than one person. His knuckles were not banged up...which probably meant he hadn't been able to fight back. There were bruises on his arms that made a case for his being held tightly during the beating.

"I guess you want to know why I was on that train, why I look so bad," Kurt said quietly, startling Blaine a bit. Blaine hadn't expected the boy to speak, and not with that high voice. He looked at him for a moment, trying to assess whether he wanted to know any more or if he'd be better off not knowing anything. He opted for the former, curious what such an exotic bird was doing in this rustic camp. He nodded at Kurt, encouraging him to continue.

"My name is Kurt Hummel."

"Blaine Anderson."

"I'm from Ohio. Lima, Ohio. I go to school there, and I was at a school dance. We were singing, I'm in a glee club and we sang at the dance," Kurt started. Blaine nodded.

"These guys followed me to my car. I guess I had made them mad or something, they bully me all the time, but this seemed worse than usual. Anyway, they held me down and hit me. With bats and the last guy hit me with a broken bottle, I think. I woke up once, but it didn't make any sense, they put me in the back seat of a car and the next thing I knew, I woke up under a bush. Here. I think I woke up a few times on the train, I found that old packing blanket to wrap up in and when it rained I got some water from under the door. But that's all I know. Do you have a phone?"

"Nope. No phones in the camp, we're too far to get a signal and the lines don't reach here. We're pretty far inside the forest, they don't even have a road for cars, just the railroad tracks. They brought the machines on the trains, even. No roads. You couldn't walk out -too far and you'd get lost. The only way out is the train, and it's not due through here again for two months," Blaine told him.

"Oh, my stars..my dad will think I'm dead. Isn't there any way to get word out? I have to get back home!" Kurt exclaimed, thinking about his poor father wondering where he was.

"I'm sorry. We'll have to figure something out, but you came here in an empty railcar, and the Company men won't like it. They'll be looking for you now, and you won't like it when they find you. There is a stiff penalty for hitching a ride on a Warner camp train, so I had better find some place to hide you or they'll do worse than your Ohio bullies. These guys play for keeps."

Kurt looked very dejected, but had no idea where to go or what to do. This situation seemed impossible. He closed his eyes to keep the tears from burning there, and he was surprised to feel a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll help you, Kurt. I won't let anything happen to you while you're here. If you listen to me, that is. I can't keep you safe if you just do what you want. I was born in a lumber camp, been here all my life, so I can help you. I'll see if my dad can help when he comes home."

"Thanks, Blaine. I appreciate it," Kurt put his hand over Blaine's as it rested on his shoulder, and smiled a little at the boy. Shit, was he in trouble.

"I have to go out. You can come with me if you like, or stay here to keep warm. It gets cold at night this high above the valley, especially with winter on its way," Blaine said after they each ate a bowl of the stew he made. It was meaty, full of vegetables and a thick gravy, which Kurt was happy to dip his fresh made bread into. He had no idea where the bread came from, Blaine had slipped out and come back with a hot loaf of it, the smell filling the small log cabin with its delicious aroma.

"I'll come with you, where are we going?" Kurt asked, he wasn't dressed for much of anything he could conceive of in this camp – since he was still wearing the skinny black jeans, button down shirt, and vest from the school dance. He did have a light jacket, but it was silk-angora blend and not warm in the least.

Blaine looked Kurt up and down. It was a little unnerving, the way Blaine would just stare at him or ask blunt to-the-point questions without a smidgen of social grace. There was no subtlety in this boy, he was exactly as you saw him, take him or leave him, no games played. At first it made Kurt think he was rough and unschooled, but the more he observed Blaine, the more he liked it that the boy was just what he was, no masks or filters. It was actually rather refreshing.

"Those clothes, though decorative, aren't really practical. I think you have about the same build as my brother. Let me see what I have of Cooper's that you can use," he said, almost to himself, and opened a trunk that was sitting under a window. Honestly, he thought, how did Kurt even walk in jeans that tight? He wouldn't make it a day here if someone saw him in those. Blaine produced a pair of flannel-lined jeans, wool socks, a green and blue wool plaid shirt, an undershirt, and a thick woolen pea coat. "Try these on. Oh, and there are some logging boots in the corner over there, not new but plenty warm.

Blaine didn't move to give Kurt any privacy, which was rather disconcerting, but Kurt was cold and thankful he had met such a generous person willing to help. He stripped down to his cherry colored silk boxers, noting how Blaine's eyebrows raised to his hairline, and put on the warm lumberjack attire, which fit him pretty well. Blaine just sat in the chair across the room and watched Kurt changing. He never looked away, didn't comment, and Kurt got very self conscious for a while. But Blaine was easy to be with, not saying anything to make the situation worse, it was like it never occurred to him to give Kurt privacy, as though he'd never had any to begin with and possibly didn't understand the concept. Kurt wondered if Blaine had always been here amongst the lumberjacks or if he'd lived other places. Well, maybe he'd get the courage up to ask later.

"Thank you, Blaine. It was very kind of you to loan these to me. Are you sure your brother won't mind?" Kurt asked.

"No, those are things he outgrew. He's heavier now, more muscular and those are too tight on him, but I never throw anything away. It always pays to keep something like that on hand when all you get is mail-order or from the company store."

"Okay, I'm ready. Where are we going?"

"Just follow me. And try to be quiet. I know you aren't used to being quiet where you're from, but it's second nature here," Blaine instructed. "If we run into anyone, don't say anything. I'll speak if it's necessary. We don't usually talk too much in camp."

Blaine stepped out of the cabin, taking a knapsack with him and slinging it over his shoulder. He walked behind the cabin towards the river, through the trees. Kurt was uncomfortable with the silence at first, used to chatting with his friends or dad if they went anywhere, but this was nice just breathing the clean pine-scented mountain air and walking behind the unusual boy who blended into the trees so well. Blaine didn't make a sound as he trekked through the forest, but was tolerant when Kurt stumbled or crunched some debris in the path as they walked.

As they approached a stand of trees with brush covering the ground, Blaine put up a hand to stop Kurt. Kurt was paying close attention and stopped immediately. Blaine walked slowly and slung the knapsack so he could reach into it, taking out a thick stick. He moved into the brush, leaned over and picked up something. He motioned Kurt to come closer and Kurt found he held a dead rabbit in a snare.

"Dinner tomorrow. I hope you like rabbit pie?" Blaine asked, smiling at the prospect of such a treat.

"Ah, I don't know. Never had it," Kurt said, wondering if he could eat a cute, fuzzy little animal like a bunny. But Blaine lost no time in getting out a knife and slitting the rabbit's belly open and removing the guts, then skinning the poor creature. What he ended up with didn't resemble a cute, fuzzy bunny – more like a naked chicken actually with the sleek muscles showing. Blaine wrapped it in some leaves and placed it in his knapsack.

"I can carry that for you," Kurt said, wanting to be helpful.

"Okay, just watch it, the blood can seep through and get you all messy if you're not careful."

"Ah...okay,' Kurt said, a bit reluctantly.

"Let's try the rest of the line," Blaine said, falling into his silent walking as he trekked to the next snare. All in all, they got four rabbits, enough for several pot pies, before they decided to return to the cabin.

"We'll walk back another way, I want to show you something," Blaine said, diverging from the path and moving onto another one. They walked side by side now and when Kurt stumbled once again going up the side of a draw, Blaine took his hand and helped him up to the path above them. It just seemed natural for them to keep holding hands, at least Kurt didn't give it much thought, and Blaine was a bit afraid Kurt would fall. He had been a little unsteady on his feet and Blaine thought it was from the beating he had taken. It would do him no good at all to fall down the mountain.

"It's just over the top of this hill..." Blaine said and they walked over to see a large number of bushes. Kurt's eyes got huge when he discovered they were covered with blackberries. He would have rushed over, but Blaine tightened the grip on his hand and put up a warning hand.

"We need to check for bears first."

Kurt looked a little scared, he had no idea they might encounter bears here and his imagination was working overtime with the thought. Blaine took out a metal pan and the stick from earlier and made a loud racket for a minute, watching the trees for any movement. It seemed clear, so they went to the bushes and Kurt picked a few and put them in his mouth, making loud moans in his enjoyment of the berries, These were not farm-cultivated berries that had been picked in Mexico and trucked thousands of miles to Ohio in hot crates to sit for days in a warehouse. No, these were fresh picked from the source, their flavorful juice exploding in his mouth as he put more and more in to revel in their taste. As Blaine watched, Kurt's face lit up with delight and his eyes got darker, a low humming coming from his throat as he ate a few more, hesitant to eat too many so as not to seem greedy. Kurt's fingers were stained dark purple and little splashes of berry juice had left tiny dots of dark juice on his cheeks and chin, making Blaine want to lick them off. But that was not something he could act upon. He'd found out that although the men of the camp loved him like a son or a brother, they did not look kindly upon differences in their ranks and Blaine had never let his true feelings be known.

"We can pick as much as we like for pies for supper and some just to eat, but leave enough for the bears and foxes and other things that like them, too," Blaine smiled, getting two small buckets from his knapsack and handing one to Kurt. They busied themselves picking berries for the next hour, Blaine taking out his pan and stick to make the racket several times in case bears were close. Both little buckets were full by the time Blaine was ready to move on and they walked back to the cabin, hand in hand. As Blaine saw Kurt was a little shaky on his feet, he moved a little closer and put his arm around Kurt's waist, resting his hand on his hip. Kurt was worried about his dad, but there wasn't anything he could do about it, so he tried to put it away for the time being and concentrate on what he needed to do for now. He'd talk to Blaine about it when they got back to the cabin.

Walking back, Blaine kept a tight hold of Kurt and looked over at him to be sure he was still okay with the pace, his wounds were bad and Blaine was still a bit concerned about them. Kurt seemed to be doing fine, if he did limp a little, and smiled at Blaine. He felt sort of peaceful strolling along the path with Blaine, who was just as beautiful as everything else in this place. Blaine smiled back at him and his heart felt warm for the first time in a very long time.


	2. Chapter 2 - Rabbit Pie

The smell of the rabbit cooking in the rich gravy was mouth-watering. Blaine had asked Kurt if he knew how to make a pie crust, so Kurt was rolling out the dough on a wooden table with a hand carved rolling pin, flouring and turning the circle of dough as he stretched it out across the table. Kurt found it kind of hard to roll out the dough, his ribs were so painful and it hurt to even think after a while with his head pounding from the gash – but he didn't want to disappoint Blaine in any way. Especially after the boy had gone to so much effort and trouble to accommodate him, Kurt thought it would be poor manners to bring attention to his pain. Years of being slammed into lockers and pushed and shoved made him used to the pain of bruises and he sucked in his breath and stiffened his spine. He could get through this.

He had already made two crusts and Blaine had put them in the small oven to blind bake before filling them with the rabbit and gravy, this would be a top crust for the first pie and he had just enough to top the second pie. Kurt had never had rabbit, but it certainly smelled delicious. They had cut up bits of bacon and then browned the rabbit pieces in the grease from that, adding chopped onion and those garlicky ramps that Blaine had gathered on the way home earlier that day.

Potatoes, carrots, celery, and herbs were chopped and added to the pan, then flour and some water to make the gravy and it had been simmering on the back of the stove for hours. Following Blaine's directions, Kurt had removed the rabbit pieces, deboned them and chopped the meat in pieces to put back in the gravy and it was now ready to put in the pot pies.

The two of them worked together like they had been doing it all of their lives. Blaine hummed as he did the chores, happy to have someone to just be there with him. He was lonely a lot because his brother was gone to cut trees most of the time. He would quickly glance over at Kurt from time to time, marveling at how such a beautiful boy had just shown up at the time Blaine had been at the camp office, just in time to save him from the bouncers. He wondered how long Kurt might be persuaded to stay. Even though Kurt was trying to hide it, Blaine could see the pain dragging the boy down. His eyes were bruised of course, but the dark circles underneath them were bad, too. He had asked several times if Kurt was okay, but the boy just smiled and said he was fine. Blaine could tell he most definitely was not fine. He regretted asking Kurt to make the crust. He hadn't thought about how much physical labor was needed to roll it out, but he didn't want to hurt the boy's pride, so he just let it be. He had a few ideas on how to help Kurt tonight when they went to bed. He would make a poltice like his father taught him to draw out the pain.

Kurt wasn't a person that liked contact. He was okay with hugging his father, but he didn't do well with the half-hug that Finn did as if Kurt were one of his football jocks. The girls he considered 'his girls', ie. Rachel, Mercedes, Quinn, Tina, Santana, and Brittany gave him hugs, but that was different, too. That only happened if they won Regionals or something. Casual contact, skin to skin, wasn't on Kurt's agenda. Ever.

On the other spectrum, Blaine seemed to touch a lot. He brushed his shoulder against Kurt's arm when he handed him the flour container, took his wrist when he moved Kurt out of the way to get into a cupboard, put his hands on Kurt's waist when his humming had become singing and he added a dance move to his kitchen routine. Kurt had jumped when Blaine did that, not used to it, but Blaine seemed oblivious to Kurt's discomfort and continued to swing Kurt around by his hips to do a close dance move while he sang and Kurt had finally begun to enjoy it a little.

Kurt was in no position to complain. He had no idea where he was exactly and apparently he couldn't just go walking around the camp with the logging company employees looking for him for riding in the empty car. Kurt was under no illusion that they would listen to his explanation as to how he ended up in that car, so he was safer for the time being with Blaine. Plus, he was getting to like the quirky guy, he was fun and intelligent, and rather good looking if Kurt was looking, which he wasn't of course.

"How long do you bake the rabbit pies?" Kurt asked to get his mind off of the silky black curls and the big hazel eyes that followed him wherever he went.

"Oh, until you can smell them out by the wood pile," Blaine answered absently, busy peeling apples for a dish he was planning.

"Really? I mean, the temperature must vary in that oven since it's wood fueled, so don't you have to time it pretty accurately?" Kurt asked, a bit confused.

"That is accurate. Don't worry, I've been making rabbit pies since I was five years old, I know when it's done," Blaine smiled.

"Have you lived here all your life?" Kurt asked, unable to imagine never having lived in a house where they had running water, a stove with temperature settings, a furnace...wow.

"Yes. I was here since I was a baby, so I don't remember anything else. My dad and brother brought me up, but I'm too small to be a lumberjack, so I work in the kitchen sometimes. Mostly I live here in Dad's cabin, but I can take care of myself. What about you?"

"I was born in Lima. I lost my mother when I was eight, and learned to cook because my poor dad was not a natural born cook at all. Let's just say I knew the staff at all the fast food places within a mile of the house," Kurt laughed.

Blaine just looked at him. "Fast food?"

"Yeah, burger joints, pizza parlors, Chinese take-out?"

"Ah, I have no idea what any of those are. I mean, I know what a restaurant is, I've read about them in books, but I don't know what fast food is? What makes it fast?" Blaine asked, clearly confused.

"I guess because when you order it, it comes to the window fast," Kurt explained. Was this kid for real? Never been to a taco place?

"Why would it come to a window? Don't you eat on tables?" Blaine said, cocking his head a little like a puppy. Kurt thought that was adorable and laughed good naturedly.

"No, you drive up to the window in your car and order your dinner. They pass it to you through the window," Kurt told him, only to get another puzzled look from Blaine. "Don't worry, it's not important. I like the way you do it here," Kurt smiled at Blaine, getting a heart-warming smile in return.

"I'm glad you like it, Kurt," Blaine said and put his arms around Kurt, who stepped back in shock at the intimate gesture. "Oh, sorry, what's wrong?"

"I guess I'm just not used to so much touching. Don't worry, it's fine, I didn't mean to offend you, Blaine, we just don't hug much where I come from," Kurt blushed, embarrassed he made Blaine's smile fade.

"Why not?" Well, if nothing else, Blaine was direct, Kurt thought. This was getting uncomfortable, but he decided to answer as truthfully as he could.

"It's mainly because I'm gay. I'm the only 'out' gay kid in my high school and most people treat me like I'm a leper because of it. They go out of their way _not_ to touch me," Kurt blurted out before he could change his mind. He didn't know how that would sit with Blaine, because Kurt thought Blaine might have been raised in a very conservative environment and he didn't want to make him uncomfortable if he had issues with gay people.

"That is ridiculous! C'mere," Blaine said and to Kurt's shock he pulled him into a warm embrace. Blaine held him close until Kurt relaxed and returned the hug, his mind reeling. He found that he didn't want Blaine to let go – he was warm and cuddly and smelled good, like pine trees and wood smoke. Kurt moved out of Blaine's arms reluctantly.

"T-t-thank you," Kurt whispered, not knowing what he was supposed to feel or do. Blaine patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"You're gay?" Blaine asked.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Kurt was already on the defensive, but Blaine just continued to smile at him as if he'd just asked Kurt what his favorite color was or what zodiac sign he was born under.

"Nope," Blaine said.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Kurt asked, assuming Blaine was heterosexual by the way he dressed, then was shocked at himself for stereotyping like that. Of course Blaine wouldn't wear Alexander Wang here in the lumber camp, what was he thinking?

"No. The only woman I really know is Cookie's wife, Shannon. Cookie is the camp cook. Shannon's married and probably 40 years old, so...no, no girlfriend. No boyfriend, either," Blaine said, back to chopping apples into a wooden bowl.

"Oh, are you gay?" Kurt asked, his heart giving a little flutter at the thought someone so easy to talk to, not to mention gorgeous, might be gay.

"Nope. I don't like to pigeonhole people like that, Kurt. When I fall in love, it will be with a fantastic person and I don't think it will matter if it's a man or woman. Does that make sense?" Blaine asked, cocking his head to one side and looking into Kurt's blue eyes. Kurt forgot what they were talking about for a moment as he got lost in the beautiful depths of Blaine's golden hazel eyes.

Kurt thought for a minute. "You know, it does make sense. I never thought of it like that. I guess I am influenced by the world I live in, and every media source out there tells you what to think, how to act, what to judge. I guess I let it all influence me too much. Thank you, Blaine, you gave me a lot to think about."

Blaine smiled once again, thinking he liked Kurt a lot. He was thanking his lucky stars he'd been there when the train stopped because Kurt looked like he was going to be a great friend to have.

They sat in the little kitchen, which was just a corner of the cabin, and talked some more while Blaine put the cut up apples in a little water, added a bit of sugar, and set them on the back of the wood stove to cook.

"Want to play a game while we wait for that to cook?" he asked Kurt.

Kurt looked around before realizing there was no television, not even electricity, to play video games. "What sort of game?"

"Cards. I have a cribbage board or we could play gin or Canasta?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, my grandparents played cribbage, that's the one where you have to get groups of cards to add up to fifteen, right?" Kurt asked.

"That's it. Want to play?" Blaine looked excited, so Kurt agreed and Blaine brought out the board. It was carved fro 4, holes drilled in groups lined up on each side, two nails sticking in the holes on each side. Kurt hadn't played in a long time, so Blaine went over the rules first, but Kurt caught on fast and they began to play in earnest.

"...and a six makes twenty-eight," Kurt said, laying the card down on the table in front of him.

"Go," Blaine said.

"And a three makes thirty-one for two pegs," Kurt grinned. "Let's count."

"Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six and a pair is eight," Blaine counted up the points in his hand.

Two full games later and each had won a game. They agreed to keep a running score, a penny a point to be paid on New Year's Eve.

"I guess we'll have to go for a tie breaker." Kurt said, wanting to play again. "So, you think I'll still be here in New Year's Eve then?"

"Maybe, but it smells like the pie is done, so I need to get it out to set for a while. Want to go with me to get water?

"Of course, I'll just get the coats," Kurt smiled. He hadn't smiled this much in years and his cheeks were starting to hurt.

"Hi, Cookie," Blaine said, smiling at the old man. Cookie was probably around 40 or 50 years old, bald with a ruff of hair around the lower part of the back of his head like one of Snow White's dwarfs. He wore old khakis with a white t-shirt and an ancient apron, covered head to toe in flour. He smiled a crooked grin upon seeing Blaine and his eyes followed Kurt as he walked in behind Blaine.

"Hey, Blaine, who's your friend? Oh, the boy they threw off the empty this morning? Better keep him inside your cabin for a few weeks, the company police are looking for him," Cookie said, patting Blaine on the back with his huge hand, leaving a white handprint behind.

"Yeah, this is Kurt. He got thrown on the train a long way away, not his fault at all, but I'll keep him with me. Can I get some water?" Blaine asked.

"Sure thing, kid. Help yourself. Hey, I got something for you...wait a second..." Cookie left the room and they could hear him rummaging around in a storage room in the back of the building. Kurt's eyebrows raised as he looked at Blaine, who put his finger to his lips for Kurt to be silent. Then he winked, making Kurt's gut wrench just a little. This boy was not to be believed: kind, smart, and really good looking. Not that Kurt was looking. Not at all.

Cookie returned, a small sack in his hand, and handed it to Blaine with a smile. "Enjoy, kid," he said, once more clapping the boy on the back and smiling.

"I think Cooper and Dad are due back in a few days, Cookie, maybe I can get them to come around for a card game?" Blaine promised. A strange look passed over Cookie's face, but he caught it and changed his face to neutral quickly, before Blaine saw it. Kurt saw, but he didn't know what to make of it, not knowing this man.

"Sure thing, Blaine. I look forward to it," Cookie said, "You better make tracks, Porter and Chase might be back soon and you don't want Kurt to get caught. You take good care of the tenderfoot, Blaine, he doesn't look like he's from around here," Cookie looked through Kurt as though he wasn't there and Blaine nodded his agreement before taking Kurt's hand and taking his leave. Between them, they carried the water bottles back to the cabin, which was a ten minute walk from the Company cook house.

Back in the cabin, Kurt helped Blaine unpack the bottles and set them on a shelf. Just thinking about what it took to get something as simple as a drink of water made Kurt appreciate every sip even more. He sat on a willow settee at the back of the cabin, resting for a few minutes as he watched Blaine open the sack from Cookie. The boy's eyes sparkled when he looked at the contents of the sack, grinning as he showed Kurt what was in it.

"Look! Cookie sent me some brown sugar, some cinnamon, and a tiny bag of raisins. Wow, how generous! I can make rolls now," Blaine crowed, obviously thrilled at the small presents. Then Blaine reached into the sack again, bringing out a fabric-wrapped thing that looked like a tiny hockey puck. Kurt looked at it in puzzlement and Blaine grinned, thinking Kurt must live in a strange place if he didn't know what this was. He moved closer and held it out for Kurt to sniff.

Kurt snuffed obligingly and wrinkled his nose. "Ewww...what is that? Wait..I know that smell. Oh, it's a cake of yeast!"

Blaine grinned at him.

"Yeah, we can make sweet dough for the cinnamon rolls with this. Haven't you ever had cinnamon rolls?"

"Yeah, but I buy them at a bakery. I've never baked my own," Kurt told his new friend. Blaine stood with his mouth open for a second before he realized how rude he was being.

"Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me. Well, I can teach you how, okay?" he asked, not sure what else to say.

"That would be fun. I'd love to learn!" Kurt said, actually enthused to be doing something to take his mind off of the present circumstances.

"We can bake them in the morning, I'll have to get some eggs and things first. But for now, I think the rabbit pie is ready. Are you hungry?"

"You bet I am," Kurt grinned, taking a breath of the delicious smelling food. His mouth was watering. "Are we waiting for your brother and dad to get here?"

"Ah...no. They might be here later in the week, but there's a big job up the canyon and they have to work on it. They stay with the crew until it's done, so I don't know when they'll be here. I just go ahead and eat when I'm hungry, I can always heat some up when they get here," he said, looking a the door as though he expected it to open at any moment.

"Okay, what can I do to help?" Kurt asked.

"Set the table, I guess. I'll go get some milk and be back in a few minutes."

Blaine left and Kurt put the spoons, forks, and plates on the table. He looked around the room, wondering …...well, just wondering. There was something a little off, a bit strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Blaine seemed like a nice guy, and Kurt was grateful for him, but he was a mystery. He'd said he lived here with his father and brother, but there was little evidence of that. There was a closet with clothes, but it was dusty and didn't look like anyone had been here to use them for a long time. Plus, the look Cookie gave Blaine when he said his dad and brother were coming home...

"Here we go. Fresh from Betsy herself!" Blaine said, cheerful as he poured the milk from a stoneware pitcher into two glasses and set them on the table.

They sat down, Blaine spooning large portions onto the tin plates. Kurt broke his slice open, the golden crust just the right flakiness, the rich savory gravy and tender meat smelling so good as he put the spoonful in his mouth. It was like heaven and Kurt groaned as he chewed and swallowed the wonderful food, the crust melting in his mouth. His smile didn't leave his face as he ate more, never knowing food could taste this good. He took a sip of the milk, stopping for a moment as he realized it was indeed fresh – which meant it was warm and thick with cream. His tongue came out, licking the drops from his lips before he took another bite of the rabbit. Kurt closed his eyes, the sensuous experience almost too much.

"Want more?" Blaine asked, searching out the blue-gray eyes of the boy sitting across from him. He found himself a bit aroused at the sounds Kurt was making. If he got this sensual just eating dinner...? Blaine brought himself back to the present with a gulp of his milk.

Kurt shook his head, not sure for a moment what Blaine was asking him. "Oh...yeah, I'd love some more. This is the most delicious food I've ever had, Blaine. Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Kurt. Have as much as you want, there's plenty," Blaine grinned, intrigued to have such an appreciative audience.

"Tell me more about where you're from," Blaine suggested.

"There isn't much to say about Ohio. It's not like here. I live in Lima, which is a small town in the northwestern corner. It doesn't smell as good there, with all the factory pollution. The rivers are clogged with trash in some places and there's cars everywhere. It's a stark contrast to this place," Kurt told him. "But, my family is there, and I miss them. My dad doesn't know where I am, and I'm scared he will think I'm dead..."

Blaine got up and went to stand in front of Kurt, leaning over to put his arms around the grieving boy. "We'll find a way to let him know. I'll ask Cookie if we can do anything tomorrow. There isn't any phone service, but there is a wire that goes down the mountain, maybe we can get something on there. We'll just have to be careful: the company owns everything here, and they're looking for you because they found you riding an empty. If we send a wire and they discover it, they'll find you. I can't keep you safe if they find you, Kurt," Blaine said bluntly.

"Okay. I'll be careful," Kurt said, feeling suddenly worn out and tired. The pain in his ribs was getting almost unbearable, his head hurt and he was just sore all over. He wanted to lay down, but didn't want to be rude to his host. He took a deep breath, determined to get through this.

Blaine walked over to the stove, taking a pot off of the back and spooning two servings into small earthenware bowls. He set them on the table and poured some cream over the top, then sprinkled on some cinnamon. He nodded at Kurt to dig in.  
"Oh! That is delicious! This is...the apples and blackberries?" Kurt asked, taking another spoonful.

"Yeah, I just skinned the apples and chopped them in a pan with the blackberries and a little sugar and a touch of rubbed sage. It's kind of like a pudding, or an apple sauce I guess. I don't know the name, but Shannon taught me to make it."

"Thank you, Blaine, it's delicious," Kurt grinned, scraping the edges of the bowl to get every drip.

"Let's go to bed," Blaine said, getting up to put some coal in the brazier for the night and banking the fire in the stove. He could see how much pain Kurt was in, and he could see how stubborn the boy was. Blaine doubted Kurt would admit to the pain, so he would just have to take control and get him in to bed for some rest. He hoped Kurt wouldn't resist the cure Blaine was going to prepare. Blaine went to the corner where there was a bed and turned a stick at the end.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"Just tightening the bed," Blaine said, looking at Kurt's puzzled face. Apparently he'd never seen a rope bed before. "It's made of boards with holes drilled into the sides, and a rope is threaded into these holes to hold the mattress. The rope is natural material, hemp, so it stretches and I tighten the rope once a week so it doesn't sag. A ratcheted gear holds it in place," Blaine explained. Kurt was fascinated, he'd never heard of such a thing.

Blaine got his pajamas out of the trunk: wool socks, flannel top and pants put on over a thermal T-shirt and long thermal pants. He went to another trunk, the one where he'd gotten Kurt some clothes earlier, and produced a set of similar pajamas for Kurt, in a larger size, and set them on the bed. He turned and walked to the front door, motioning for Kurt to follow him. They donned coats and mufflers as protection against the wind and Blaine led the way to the outhouse where they took turns and walked back to the cabin. Kurt stopped, mouth open as he looked up at the stars.

"Wow!" he gulped. "There are a million more stars here than in Ohio!"

Blaine started giggling. "Really, Kurt? And here I thought they were the same ones."

"Ah...yeah, of course...but you can really see them here. Can we just look at them for a minute?" he begged, still amazed at how many he could see.

"Of course. We can bring out a blanket and lie here and look at them one night. I used to do that with my dad and Cooper, my brother, when I was little. Dad knew the names of so many of them. Look, there's Orion's Belt, and there's Venus."

"Oh, the Seven Sisters!" Kurt put in, a little impressed with himself that he was able to find it.

"It's cold out here, Kurt, and you look so tired. Let's get inside and we can stargaze another night maybe?" Blaine was worried about Kurt – he had only been off the train for less than a day and his injuries looked bad. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles, so Blaine wanted to get him into a warm bed as soon as possible.

Back in the cabin, Blaine took two hot pads and lifted the kettle off the back of the stove, pouring some steaming hot water into a basin with cool water, feeling the temperature as he did so. When it was to his liking, he set the kettle back on the stove and got several wash clothes and towels out along with a cake of soap. He handed a washcloth to Kurt, then proceeded to strip off his clothes, not shy at all. He stood naked and began to wash himself, starting with his face and down his neck, across his chest. He glanced over at Kurt -who was just standing there staring at Blaine, a hunger in his eyes. Blaine stopped what he was doing, wondering what was wrong.

"Kurt? Do you need something?" he asked. Kurt blushed to his roots.

"Ah, no, I'm fine. Sorry, I guess I'm just zoning out, I'm awfully tired."

"Oh. Okay. Tell me if you need anything," Blaine went back to washing. Kurt slowly removed the clothes he had borrowed, then finally his silk boxers. He had never once taken off his clothes in front of another person, well, not since he was six or seven years old anyway. But if Blaine thought it wasn't a big deal, Kurt was not going to make him think anything was up. He took the washcloth and dipped it in the hot water, rubbing the cake of soap across it and began washing his face. He distracted himself by imagining what his skin would look like by the end of the two months with no moisturizer.

Blaine had his back to Kurt, scrubbing his leg which was propped up on a chair, affording Kurt a view of his balls hanging loose between his legs. Kurt gasped, but managed to make it sound like a cough. Blaine was just...beautiful. His golden skin looked sun-kissed and the dusting of hair on his butt just enhanced the shape of the perfectly round cheeks. Kurt tried to look away, but it was like his eyes had a mind of their own and he couldn't. His breath was coming in ever increasing pants and he closed his eyes for a moment to gather his courage and will his cock not to harden any more than it already had.

Blaine was rinsing in another basin and dried off with the towel before he slipped on the thermal pants. He turned to look at Kurt and saw the boy struggling with washing his back with the terrible bruises.

"Wait a minute, I'll help you. You shouldn't try to move so much, you might hurt your back. Those bruises are bad...I think I better make you a poultice," Blaine said, moving close to Kurt and taking the washcloth out of his hand. He dipped it in the warm water and rubbed the cake of soap on it before moving closer to Kurt and began washing his back, gently down his spine before going around his ribcage, being very soft and tender so as not to hurt him. He washed under Kurt's arms, making him giggle, and then rinsed him. Kurt's worries about how his anatomy would respond seemed to be unfounded as he relaxed in Blaine's capable hands and he felt better than he had for days. He was able to finish washing by himself, but Blaine was back with a towel to dry his back.

"Lay down on the bed on top of this towel and I'll get a poultice to draw out the soreness from the bruises."

Kurt lay naked, face down on the bed and Blaine covered him from the waist down with a blanket. Blaine struggled to keep his eyes from the perfect round ass displayed in front of him, closing his eyes for a moment before going to the stove to get the steeped herbs into a flannel cloth and wrapping it up. Kurt felt the warmth of the poultice as it seeped into his skin and he groaned in relief. He had been hurting quite a bit, but hadn't realized how much until Blaine had placed the hot poultice on him. He had it on for twenty minutes before Blaine removed it, covered the place with a piece of flannel, and helped Kurt get into the thermal underwear and the pajamas. He pulled on the warm woolen socks and when Blaine pulled back the blankets on the bed, he was grateful to just climb in and close his eyes.

"What's in this? It smells familiar, but I can't place it," Kurt asked, indicating the poultice.

"I used some comfrey petals and leaves, calendula, and marjoram. It's the wrong season for a lot of stuff I usually use, but these should work. I can ask Shannon tomorrow if she has anything better."

Blaine emptied the basins and cleaned up everything, then put out the lamp and got into the bed beside Kurt. He handed him a knit stocking cap and pulled one on himself.

"Why are we wearing hats to bed?" Kurt asked, amused at the brightly striped knit cap in his hand.

"It keeps your body heat in. Just put it on, you'll be glad of it come morning, it will get pretty cold during the night."

There had been no discussion about sleeping arrangements, and Kurt could see no other bed. He wondered where Blaine's father and brother slept when they were home, but didn't feel comfortable asking, so he let it go. He'd find out soon enough he thought.

The mattress was soft, the blankets warm, and Kurt was tired beyond thinking. He closed his eyes and began to drift off.

"Are you comfortable, Kurt? Do you need another pillow?" Blaine asked.

"No, I'm fine, Blaine. Thank you. Can I ask a question, and you won't think it's too dumb?"

"Ask away," Blaine smiled.

"What is this mattress made from? I've never felt anything so soft in all my life. I know you said the bed is made of ropes, but the stuffing is...?"

"Down. Goose down. They call it a feather bed, but really it's just the down, not the whole feather. I collected the down for a few years to make this," he smiled, proud of the job he'd done. "Wow," Kurt said, impressed, "It's like I fell into a time warp and woke up a hundred years in the past."

Blaine blinked and looked a bit shocked. The lines around his mouth turned down, starting to quiver a tiny bit. Kurt looked over and saw what his comment had done to Blaine and took in a sharp breath.

"Oh, Blaine! No! I meant how wonderful all of this is. It wasn't a criticism, not at all. The way you live here, it's so different than anything I've ever experienced and I'm just in awe of it all – in awe of you." He smiled at the boy with the mop of curly hair and the bright hazel eyes and got a dazzling smile in return.

"You mean that, Kurt? I have never known any other way to be. I have read a lot of books, but this is the only place I remember living at all, so I have nothing to compare it to," Blaine said sincerely.

"I just want to thank you for letting me stay with you, Blaine. It was kind of you and I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you've done."

"It was nothing, I'm just glad to have a friend. You will be my friend, won't you, Kurt? Because I really like you."

"I really like you, too, Blaine. Of course we're friends." Kurt yawned, he was so tired but didn't want to be rude to his host. Burt Hummel raised a polite boy and Kurt had always wanted his dad to be proud of him.

"Here I am keeping you awake, I'm sorry. Dawn comes early, let's get some sleep," Blaine said and turned over to face the wall. Kurt pulled the blankets up over his shoulder and closed his eyes. While the air in the cabin was cool bordering on cold, the nest they had made in the feather bed with woolen blankets made it toasty warm and Kurt was asleep before he had a chance to think anything more.

"Aaaaaaahhooooo!"

Kurt jumped up, looking around but seeing nothing in the dark. He could hardly see his hand in front of his face and he began to panic, not knowing where he was and what that awful sound was. A shiver went down his spine and he was immediately gathered into a warm embrace from behind with a gentle voice in his ear.

"It's okay, babe, it's only a wolf. You're safe here with me, okay? They can't get in the cabin – unless they crawl down the chimney and then they'll land in the soup pot and we'll have wolf stew for breakfast." He felt Blaine shake with laughter at his joke and a smile crossed his own mouth.

"I just forgot where I was for a minute, I'm fine," Kurt said, trying to sound braver than he was. Wait...did Blaine just call him 'babe'? No, he must have misheard it because Blaine wasn't laughing or smiling, no, it must have been a trick of his imagination.

His heartbeat was calming down from the sudden fright and he began to remember where he was. His ribs hurt and the bruises were sore, but he knew he was okay. In addition, he was freezing cold. Apparently he had kicked the blankets off during the night.

"You're cold, Kurt. Come here and I can warm you up," Blaine said, scooting closer to Kurt and winding his legs in between Kurt's. He already had his arms wrapped around Kurt's torso, and Kurt was feeling a little uncomfortable. He lay there, stiff and confused, but Blaine made no awkward advances, so Kurt began to relax and enjoy the warmth provided by the furnace – in the form of a gorgeous boy he was sharing the blankets with.

Kurt closed his eyes, still very sleepy, and turned away from Blaine. He scooted his back up against Blaine's chest to get close enough to share the warmth, but Blaine stopped him.

"Kurt, if you're cold, then you need to face me, the heat of your body is more concentrated in the front where your vital organs are, so if we cuddle close facing each other, you'll stay warmer. If you're okay with that," Blaine said in a soft voice.

"Okay," Kurt returned, flipping over to face Blaine and smiling when Blaine cuddled close, his head fitting just under Kurt's chin and his arms holding tight as his chest followed the contours of Kurt's chest. He kept his legs tangled between Kurt's and Kurt wished for just a second that Blaine was not so good to look at, or that he didn't smell quite so nice. It would be hard to hide any arousal from this angle.

"Goodnight, Kurt. I'm glad you came," Blaine whispered.

"I'm glad I did, too." Kurt murmured into Blaine's curly hair as he closed his eyes to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Boxer

Kurt was never a heavy sleeper, so he had woken up several times during the night to the sound of various animals or other nighttime noises. Each time, he found himself wrapped up tightly in Blaine's arms and legs, usually with the boy's head cuddled under Kurt's chin and his hands gripping Kurt like a little koala bear.

The next morning, Kurt opened his eyes to find Blaine was gone and the sun was streaming into the cabin through a window that faced east, letting the morning sunshine brighten up the cabin. Kurt smiled, looking around for Blaine. His eyes found him standing in front of the stove, rubbing melted butter in a pan and poking at something in a bowl, covered by a towel.

Blaine turned his head and caught Kurt's eyes.

"Good morning! How did you sleep?" Blaine asked, looking like he really wanted to know.

"Beautifully. I can't recall when I've had a sounder sleep. I did wake up a few times, with sounds I couldn't figure out, but I'll get used to it. How long have you been up?" Kurt asked sheepishly, worried he'd slept too long and appeared lazy.

"Not too long, I mixed up the dough for the rolls, but it needs to rise. Let's go to the outhouse and then get washed up."

Kurt thought it was a little strange they had to go to the outhouse together, but Blaine explained it was because of the company police looking for him. Blaine knew where to hide if need be.

"I can stop going with you in a few weeks, but it's safer for now," and Kurt let it go.

After getting washed up, Blaine took the dough out of the bowl; it had raised twice its size once already, and Blaine had punched it down. Kurt was there to help and when both boys reached out to knead the dough, their hands touched. Kurt's breath caught...he could feel the warmth of Blaine's skin and a vision of the sexy scene where Patrick and Demi were shaping the clay and their hands intertwined in "Ghost" came to mind. Kurt had to close his eyes for a moment and regroup, this was inappropriate behavior and his body was going to betray him if he didn't move farther away. He could feel that he was starting to get hard and that just wasn't going to happen. Where was a cold shower when he needed one?

Blaine looked over at Kurt, staring because Kurt had his back to him, and wondered what was wrong. Had Kurt felt that spark when their hands touched? Blaine smiled to himself, he had to admit he wanted to touch Kurt again, but he had been really skittish this afternoon. Kurt turned back around, his body once more under tight control. He noticed Blaine looking at him and gave the boy a forced smile. Blaine went on preparing the dough and smiling that secret smile to himself while Kurt walked over to the trunk to change his clothes.

Kurt was humming "Unchained Melody" and Blaine started to sing along:

_Lonely rivers flow To the sea, to the sea _

_To the open arms of the sea  
Lonely rivers sigh "Wait for me, wait for me" _

_I'll be coming home, wait for me!  
Oh, my love, my darling _

_I've hungered, hungered for your touch _

_A long, lonely time  
And time goes by so slowly _

_And time can do so much _

_Are you still mine?  
I need your love I need your love _

_God speed your love to me!_

Kurt grinned at Blaine, joining in as they sang, their voices complementing each other.

"Hey, you have a wonderful voice!" Blaine complemented, and Kurt blushed. He was more used to someone telling him how much he sounded like a girl than he was to hearing praise.

"Thank you, Blaine. You do, too. Hey, I think we make a great duo, our voices harmonize pretty well, huh?" Kurt smiled.

"Yeah. Hey, do you know ahhh...oh, "Here's To Us" by Lizzie Hale? We could sing that..."

The rolls were forgotten for a while as the boys sang a few more songs, then Blaine had to get back to the task at hand. He began to roll the dough out, Kurt getting dressed in his borrowed clothes and hurrying to help. Blaine set Kurt to mixing brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. He took a bit of soft butter and painted it on the rectangle of dough sitting on the counter, showing Kurt how to sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the butter. As a final step, he sprinkled the raisins across the dough. They rolled it up and cut it into rolls with a piece of string. Setting each of these spirals on its side in the pan, he added the rest of the brown sugar and set the pan in the oven to bake. Soon the smell of cinnamon drifted throughout the whole house, making Kurt's mouth water.

"Wow, that smells so good," Kurt grinned. He was beginning to see all the advantages of living like this with no so-called modern utilities.

"Let's go get the morning milk. Maybe Bossy or Betsy will let you milk them," Blaine said, opening the cabin door. Kurt followed him to a shed a dozen feet away from the back door. They undid the lock and went in. Kurt thought it was an awfully small place to keep a cow, but he was a city kid, so maybe he was wrong. A glance at the inside of the structure and he saw no cows. Blaine went in a gate and when Kurt followed he saw three goats, all bahhhing at Blaine.

"Here you go, Bossy girl," he said, the goat stepping up on the stanchion as he dipped a scoop into a bin of grain and filled the feed bowl. The other goat was standing on her stanchion and bahhed until Blaine fed her, too, then when he'd locked their heads in, he fed the male goat from a bowl at the other end of the pen.

"Oh, I had no idea we were drinking goat's milk," Kurt looked a little pale.

"Ah, what did you think we were drinking?" Blaine asked, wondering at Kurt's reluctance.

"Cow?" he ventured.

"Oh, no I only have goats. These are Toggenbergs. The ram is a LaMancha..see the tiny ears? I hope to have lots of babies one day, Bossy and Betsy are both pregnant. Aren't they, Hugo?" he asked the ram, who was munching his grain in the corner, his huge testicles waving underneath him. "They had babies last year, but I had to sell them. Hopefully this year I can keep at least one," he said. "Want to learn to milk a goat?"

"Sure, I'm up for anything, Blaine. How do I go about it?"

"First, pat her a little on the back, then stroke her sides and neck until she seems comfortable. She won't let her milk down if she doesn't like you," he smiled, stroking an appreciative Bossy.

Kurt did the same to Betsy and got a slick goat tongue wrapped around his wrist for his trouble. It felt funny, but he called it a victory she hadn't bitten him. Blaine walked him through each step and came over to hold his hand in the correct way to get the milk out. It was harder than it looked and he felt funny tugging at the goat's teats, but Betsy didn't seem to mind, so Kurt finished. Blaine came and made sure she was stripped before he let her out of the stanchion.

Going outside, he opened a bin and gathered some vegetables, some looked old and not very good...torn leaves or chopped short: obviously the leftovers from some garden. There was even a head of cabbage for them to share.

"You have to be careful feeding cabbage, it can make the milk taste a bit off, but they love it," Blaine explained and let Kurt feed the treats to the goats before they went back to the yard.

"Okay, now over here," Blaine said, walking to another structure. He let Kurt inside the double gate and found a line of wooden shelves, each with a fat black chicken sitting on it. Kurt helped gather eggs and feed the chickens before they went back in the cabin.

"Ah, Blaine? Why are the eggs all blue? I've never seen a blue chicken egg before," Kurt marveled.

"Because the chickens are Araucanas. They call them Easter Egg chickens because they lay blue, green, brown and cream colored eggs," Blaine laughed.

By this time, the cinnamon rolls smelled so good, Kurt could think of nothing else. He smiled at Blaine, who smiled back, and they sat at the table eating their rolls and drinking fresh goat milk. Kurt had never had anything so good. But, didn't he say that just last night at dinner as he was tucking into that rabbit pie?

"I have to go out for a while this afternoon, Kurt. Will you be okay here by yourself? Or I can take you over to the cook house with Cookie and Shannon?" Blaine asked.

"Ah, maybe to the cook house? I want to see if there is any way to contact my dad," Kurt asked. He would have rather stayed at the cabin, he was comfortable there, but he was even more worried about his dad thinking he was dead.

"Okay, let's get this cleared and be on our way then," Blaine said, stacking the dishes and walking over to the tub. Kurt was up and pouring the hot water from the kettle into cool water from the river so they could get it done quickly.

"Ah, so this is the boy," a woman said, looking Kurt up and down as she stood with her hands in fists on her hips, a less-than-happy look on her wrinkled face.

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm Kurt Hummel, pleased to make your acquaintance," Kurt said, putting out his hand to shake hers in his most polite form.

She looked at his hands as though they were filthy and turned on her heel to walk away.

"Aw, Shannon, give the kid a chance. He's polite, and that's more than you usually get around here, isn't it?" her husband coaxed. She turned back.

"Okay. I am Shannon. It's good to meet you," she said.

"And you," Kurt said, taking her hand. "How can I help?"

"I have bread to make, we can start with that." Cookie began.

An hour later, Kurt was elbow deep in dough, kneading the third batch of yeast bread and having the time of his life. He loved the hard work, the mindless repetition. Cookie had taken his father's information and promised to try to find a way to send him a message that Kurt was okay. Even Shannon had finally come around after she saw how hard Kurt was willing to work.

Blaine came in the back door, looking tired and sweaty.

"How was it?" Cookie asked.

"Fine. I needed that. Tell the guys I'm ready for the fight next month, okay?" Blaine asked.

"Sure, kid. I'll pass the word along. What do you think? I have fifty..." Cookie said in a quiet voice.

"Yeah, it's Lucky Von Stroh, but I think he isn't going to be so lucky. I think you can go for it," Blaine smiled, turning to Kurt. "Ready to go?" he asked, taking Kurt's hand and walking through the door.

"Ah, Blaine? I know it's probably none of my business, but what was that about fight night?"

"Oh, I ah...well, let me show you," he said.

They walked to a large building and Blaine opened the door and ushered Kurt inside with a sweeping gesture. Inside they moved to the center of the building and there was a raised platform. It was a boxing ring. Kurt's eyes got huge.

"You...box?" he asked, looking at Blaine.

"Yeah, I'm an amateur prize fighter. I'm a welter-weight. I've been boxing for three years. I may be too small to be a lumberjack, but I can punch."

"Wow."

"Come here..." Blaine pulled Kurt by his arm towards the far wall. There were a lot of photographs there, all framed. Kurt looked at some and then saw a photo of Blaine. He was in a fighting stance, his hair slicked back and toned abs and biceps on display. He was gorgeous.

"Blaine, that's...wow, I've never known anyone that boxed before," Kurt said.

"Well, my brother taught me, and it gets me some money. I don't need a lot, but I earn what I need that way. Let's go back to the cabin, I'm hungry."

Kurt had a hard time pulling himself away from the picture of Blaine, then saw another picture near it. Blaine was occupied with getting his bag and Kurt looked closer at this photograph. It was of a heavier man, but the same mop of black curls and intense eyes. Underneath was written:

**Cooper Anderson **

**Warner Logging Camp Middle Weight Champion **

This must be Blaine's brother. Blaine was waiting across the room and Kurt hurried to catch up to him, and they left the building to head back to the cabin.

"Hey, Blaine!" they heard from behind them, and Blaine looked over his shoulder.

"Kurt, just go with what I say, nod but don't speak, this is trouble coming," he whispered to Kurt before he turned to reply to the man chasing him.

"Anderson! Wait," the man shouted as he jogged to catch up. "Who's this?"

"You know my brother, Chase. This is Cooper," Blaine said, turning to walk on.

"Cooper? No, this isn't Cooper, he's up on the big job up the canyon, isn't he?" Chase asked, scratching his head.

"Oh, you're funny, Chase – always kidding around. Well, I have to go, I have a fight coming up and I'm in training," Blaine said, nudging Kurt, who was looking the other direction purposely, and they took off down a path away from the cabin at a good clip.

"I'm betting on you, Anderson!" Chase called as Blaine and Kurt disappeared through the trees.

"Whew, I can't believe that worked," Kurt panted, having rushed up and down several paths before stopping by the river to sit on a log next to Blaine.

"It wouldn't have worked with anyone else, but Lucas Chase is just about blind. He can see your clothes and general build, but not much else. He's always with Porter, so he keeps his job – the company doesn't know how bad his eyesight is or they'd can him. We never say anything because it's too easy to get things past him. But be careful if you see him with a short fella with dirty brown hair and no chin. That's Nolan Porter and he's nasty."

"I was scared there for a minute, thanks for looking out for me, Blaine. I appreciate it," Kurt said.

"That's what friends are for, isn't it?" Blaine said, putting an arm around Kurt and laying his head on Kurt's shoulder, then giving him a tight hug before getting up to walk down another path. Kurt sat still for a moment, absorbing the fact that Blaine just hugged him. He had a warm feeling, like he didn't want Blaine to move away. He'd have to get used to this because every time Blaine touched or hugged Kurt, Kurt got that feeling, and it was getting hard to ignore. Was he attracted to Blaine? Well, he'd come to that conclusion last night, but was Blaine interested in him as more than a friend? He just didn't know. He shook his head and got up to follow his new friend down the path.

Back at the cabin, Blaine was met with a package wrapped up and sitting on his doorstep. He smiled.

"Can you help me get this inside, Kurt?" he asked and grabbed a side while Kurt grabbed the other and they dragged it into the kitchen part of the room. Blaine heaved it up on the table and began unwrapping the paper. There was fresh meat, butchered and wrapped. Blaine grinned.

We can store some of this at the cook house. During the winter we can bury it in the snow, but it isn't cold enough out to snow that much yet. What do you say, steak for supper?" Blaine grinned.

"That sounds wonderful," Kurt agreed. He had worked hard at the cook house and hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. He was too afraid of Shannon to take any food while he was working, he blushed to remember.

Blaine selected a few steaks and wrapped up the rest of the meat, tying some string around the paper and heaving it up to carry.

"I'll be right back, Cookie will store this for me in the company freezer," Blaine relayed and was gone in a minute.

Kurt had to use the outhouse, so he opened the door, looking around to be sure he was alone, then walked off the path so he could hide in the bushes if need be. He walked back between the path and the river and saw a bunch of fiddlehead ferns growing in a clump. He knew how to prepare these, having gone with friends to collect them one day, and cut a bunch to take back to the cabin with him. He would show Blaine he could cook, too. Keeping his eyes peeled, he saw a mulberry tree across a clearing and walked that way, climbing into the low branches to pick enough to make a pie. He wove a few leaves of iris together for a small makeshift basket to carry them in and grabbed the ferns, then returned to the cabin.

Blaine was pacing back and forth in the cabin when he went back in. When he saw Kurt, he leaped at him, arms around him in a tight hug, "Kurt! Where did you go? With Chase hanging around camp, I was worried he or Porter might have caught you. Why did you leave?"

"I had to use the outhouse, but I was careful. I went the way you showed me, Blaine, I'm not stupid," Kurt said, his back up in irritation at being thought unable to take care of himself.

"I never thought you were stupid. A little naïve, but not stupid. The thing is, this has nothing to do with intelligence, Kurt. You don't know how dangerous it is for you to be by yourself here. I thought I explained...everything is owned by the Company. And you pissed off the Company. They are looking for you, Kurt. People that piss off the Company get caught by their agents -men like Chase and Porter, and they disappear. Forever. Do you understand?" Blaine was practically shaking as he talked to Kurt.

"I guess I didn't know how serious it is. I thought they might hit me or beat me up, but I didn't think they'd do anything worse than that," Kurt confessed, beginning to get scared.

"I can keep you safe, Kurt, but only if you listen to me and do as I tell you. I'm sure in the big city, you can get along fine. There are policemen and people to see what goes on, to keep you safe. But here, The Company is everything. You play by their rules or you pay, sometimes with your life. Okay? There are no witnesses in a place where one company owns everyone and everything you can see," Blaine tried to keep his patience level up, but he was scared for Kurt.

"Okay, you have taken care of me so far and I trust you, Blaine. I apologize if I stepped out of line. Forgive me?" Kurt asked.

Blaine stepped close to Kurt and put his arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Of course, I do, Kurt. You're my friend. Will you listen to me? Please?"

"Yes, Blaine, I will," Kurt said, melting into the hug for a long minute before pulling back. He wanted to stay there, Blaine smelled so good, the hug was warm and soothing and Kurt had to close his eyes and concentrate to force himself to move away from Blaine. It was like some sort of magnet, always tugging him closer to Blaine. He shook his head to clear it.

"About supper, I know you have steaks, but I found some fiddlehead ferns. I thought they'd taste good with the steak?" Kurt asked.

"I've never eaten them, I don't know how to cook them," Blaine said, looking curious.

"No worries, I can cook them. See what else I found?" Kurt got out the mulberries in the leaf basket he had wrapped in his jacket.

"Oh! I love mulberries! I can't ever reach them, thanks Kurt. We can have tarts for dessert!" Blaine enthused.

It had been a long day for both of them and the simple task of cooking supper was relaxing for the two of them. It wasn't long before the supper was laid out on the table, the lamps lit and they were eating.

"Oh, this is good. Who left you the beef?" Kurt asked, suddenly curious. Blaine giggled.

"This isn't beef. It's venison. One of the guys must have shot a deer and was kind enough to share. They leave stuff like that for me because they know I'm here by myself most of the time, but more because they want me to win my fights. I need a lot of protein to maintain my weight and stamina. I'm welterweight, so I try to stay right on 145 pounds. They don't do it to be nice, they do it because they bet on me." Blaine explained.

"Oh, insurance for their wins? I guess that makes sense. But I would think it's more that they just like you, Blaine, you're a nice guy," Kurt observed.

Blaine coughed. "That isn't important around here, Kurt. Just being a nice guy can get you killed. They feed me because they want me to win, simple as that."

There was silence in the room.

"Hey, I like these fiddlehead ferns, they're good. Do you eat a lot of these at home in Ohio?"

"Nope, I learned to cook them in a survival class I took with a friend. I can cook, but not exotic foods too much, just simple fare," Kurt said, but he was really pleased that Blaine liked his contribution.

They ate the small mulberry tarts, cleaned up their supper dishes and walked to the outhouse together.

Coming back, Blaine got the washtub ready, but this time Kurt helped and it was ready quickly. Once again, Blaine stripped off in the middle of the room and began washing. Kurt hesitated, not really used to this, but went ahead anyway. He had his body turned away from Blaine when he felt a warm rag come across his back and he jumped.

"Oh, didn't mean to startle you, I was just going to help with your back again, at least until some of these injuries heal, okay?"

"Of course, I guess I'm just jumpy because of what you told me about the Company men today. No, I appreciate it, Blaine, I can't really reach my back with these bruises hurting so badly."

Blaine dipped the washcloth and gently washed away the dirt and sweat of the day, taking care not to hurt Kurt. It was soothing and calming and Kurt relaxed into the touch, closing his eyes to feel it more.

"These bruises are bad, Kurt. I'm kind of worried about them. I better put a poultice on them again tonight, you think?" Blaine sounded worried.

"They're pretty sore, but I think they just need time to heal. I've had a lot of bruises in my life, and they just take time..." Kurt said, not wanting to be of any more trouble to Blaine.

Blaine went over to the kitchen for a few minutes, coming back with a poultice that he had wrapped in the piece of flannel and set it to steep in a basin of hot water.

Kurt finished bathing and began to towel off, Blaine once again coming to his aid and patted his back dry before asking him to lie down on the bed just like last night.

"Here, let me take care of this," Blaine said, removing the bandage from Kurt's head and looking intently at the gash. He dipped a clean cloth in the basin and washed the cut, dabbing on iodine before bandaging it back up with new cloth.

"That looks a little better, and I don't see any infection, so it will heal. I don't think it will scar very much, if at all. It would be a crime to damage your beautiful face," Blaine smiled. Kurt took in a big breath of air, not knowing what to say to that, so he just mumbled a little.

Blaine patted the bed to indicate that Kurt should lie down and he covered his hips with the sheet before placing the hot poultice on the worst of the bruises. It felt so good on his sore ribcage, Kurt almost fell asleep as Blaine busied himself in the kitchen. He came back, removed the poultice, and helped Kurt pull on the thermal underwear, flannel pajamas, wool socks and knit cap.

"What smells so good?" Kurt asked, his mouth wetting with saliva at the enticing odors coming from the cups in Blaine's hands. He handed one to Kurt who took a small sip, a bright smile beginning on his lips as he sipped at the hot chocolate. They sat quietly, sipping the drink and looking a the stars out the window for a while before the clouds covered the moon.

"Thank you," Kurt said, drinking the last few drops of the treat and exchanging smiles with his new friend. Afterwards, he was happy to fall into the soft bed, but his heart began to race as Blaine climbed into the bed next to him.

"Goodnight, Blaine," Kurt said, subconsciously cuddling closer to the warmth of the other boy.

"Kurt, you're my friend, aren't you?" Blaine asked in a quiet voice. Kurt pulled away to turn and study Blaine's face in the small amount of light coming from the fire in the stove.

"Yes, Blaine. I'm your friend, and you're mine," Kurt said, squeezing his hand. Blaine intertwined their fingers.

"I'm glad."


	4. Chapter 4 - Stargazers

Living with Blaine was one new experience after another, Kurt found out. He had been there for about three weeks when he woke up to find Blaine doing something with a vise and a box that was similar to the one Kurt kept his bedazzle jewels in.

He didn't mind getting up early, especially to help Blaine with the daily chores: milking the goats, collecting eggs, hauling water, and many other things that needed to be done each day. Kurt just didn't have that inner clock Blaine seemed to be born with for waking up at the crack of dawn and no amount of asking or begging would convince Blaine to wake him up when he got up.

Kurt jumped out of bed, quickly washing his face and brushing his teeth, getting ready for the day.

"Shall I help milk Betsy and Bossy?" he asked, smiling at Blaine as he got dressed in his borrowed clothes.

"Sure, I'll be ready in just a moment, we can have omelets for breakfast. Cookie gave me a bell pepper and a chunk of cheddar yesterday when I went for water."

"That sounds wonderful. I'll race you to the shed!" Kurt grinned, tying his shoelaces.

They hit the door of the cabin together and ran all the way to the shed, giggling as they made it through the door in a dead heat. Just as they made the corner of Betsy's stall, Kurt slipped on the straw and skidded a few feet before his legs got tangled up in Blaine's and knocked him off of his feet, too. They landed, Blaine on top of Kurt and both in a fit of giggles.

"Oh, sorry, Kurt, I'm so clumsy," Blaine laughed, looking up at Kurt from his perch laying full length across his friend. Kurt's breath hitched as he looked into smoky hazel eyes, then blushed deep red when he realized he was hard – and the way Blaine was laying on him he must know it. Blaine stopped for a heartbeat, his eyes getting large as he looked back into Kurt's blue-gray eyes. He moved as though he was pulled by a string closer to Kurt's mouth until their lips touched. Blaine's eyes closed and he moved his mouth across Kurt's soft pink lips, and Kurt found himself kissing this extraordinary boy.

They pulled back, staring for a moment, then Kurt kissed Blaine again, tenderly at first. Blaine whimpered, wanting more and Kurt deepened the kiss, licking his tongue across Blaine's lower lip hesitantly – almost pulling back as the realization came: he was kissing a boy. And the boy was kissing him back with equal intensity.

"Oh..." Kurt sounded stricken, then at a loss for words as they ended the kiss. He took a breath to do it again when they got an insistent interruption.

Betsy baahhhed loudly and Hugo, the ram, kicked the wooden slats that made up the side of the pen in anticipation of his breakfast. Blaine scrambled to his feet and held out a hand to assist Kurt. They let the goats out of the pens to get into their stanchions for milking. All the while Kurt was glancing at Blaine, Blaine was looking back at Kurt, but neither said a word. They milked the goats in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable the way Kurt expected it might be. They finished at the same time, letting the goats out to the yard with Hugo and moving on to the chicken coop for eggs before going back in the kitchen.

Kurt busied himself with cutting the bacon into tiny pieces to cook for the omelets, Blaine diced the bell pepper and a bit of onion, then shredded cheese and they cooked the eggs, toast, and coffee for breakfast. Sitting across from one another at the little table, Blaine couldn't help but smile at Kurt. Kurt blushed pink, which was adorable, and Blaine moved his hand so it was covering Kurt's for a moment. They ate in companionable silence and washed up the dishes after.

"What is all this gear you have sitting out?" Kurt asked Blaine.

"I was going fishing this afternoon, so I thought I'd tie some new flies to use. I lost a few this last month and I need to replenish my fly box. Have you ever seen anyone tie flies?" Blaine asked.

"No, can't say that I have. But I've gone fishing before!" Kurt grinned because finally there was something he was at least a little familiar with.

"I'm not the best ever, but I can tie enough to catch my dinner. I'll show you how to tie one of these," Blaine promised, opening the tackle box to show Kurt a Royal Coachman fly, which had a white wing, iridescent hackle and red bands of silk thread separating the parts.

Sitting down at the table, Blaine set a tiny hook in the vise and opened a tackle box. Inside were so many interesting things, Kurt started to look through it. There were all types of feathers, tiny cards onto which different bright silk threads were wrapped, there were hooks and threads and pieces of fur, beads and small bits of straw, foil, and tinsel.

"Oh, I'm going to like this, I think," Kurt grinned. Blaine laughed.

"It's not for decorating your clothes, silly, I know what you were thinking!"

"Was not!" Kurt laughed back at him.

Blaine was a patient teacher. He went through each step of wrapping, tying, and gluing all the parts of the fly as Kurt watched. Then he sat Kurt down with a somewhat larger hook in the vise, for beginners, and let Kurt do the steps. It was fun and rather complicated to hold on the tiny piece of white duck quill to make the wing, then wrap the buck hair for the tail and a peacock feather for the body. The bands were of red silk and the hackle was pheasant. A bit of trimming and the fly was ready to be set to dry. Kurt's fly wasn't quite as tidy as Blaine's, but was declared serviceable and Kurt was rather proud of his first fly.

"Have you ever been fly fishing? It's not the same as using a lure or bait. I only have one fly rod, but I do have a couple regular poles and tackle, so we can go together if you want to?" Blaine asked, looking excited.

Kurt had fun tying the fly, he enjoyed meticulous work like that, but fishing? Still, Blaine looked so excited he felt he really had to make the effort.

"Of course, I want to go fishing with you, Blaine," Kurt said, and he really meant it and gave his friend a warm smile. "I have never been fly fishing, but I could learn maybe."

"It's a long, slow learning process. I'm thinking we can just fish with bobbers and flies today. I'll get the gear ready, you can put some food in the basket in case we get hungry?" Blaine suggested.

"Sure, sounds like a plan," Kurt said, turning to see what could be eaten cold from the basket.

"I still don't understand why I couldn't use the fly I tied," Kurt pouted.

"You can, but the trout in this river like smaller flies. You tied that coachman on a huge hook – and they just don't bite on anything that big. I just had you do that for practice, Kurt. We can tie smaller flies this week and use them. I can teach you how to tie a lot of different kinds: wooley worms, nymphs, Caddis, Hare's ear, stonefly, or a blue-wing olive.

"Here, let me get you started: you tie a knot like this...fill the bobber half full of water so it sits right in the water, then attach it like this...have you ever cast a line before?"

"No. I went fishing with my dad and uncle when I was a kid, but it was with worms and they cast the line for me," Kurt admitted.

"No problem. Here, stand like this and hold your finger here, this is how you let out the line..." Blaine showed him how to cast the line. He was standing behind Kurt, almost flush against him as he put an arm around him to hold him steady as he held Kurt's right hand in his to show him the technique for casting -with the proper snap of the wrist to send the line shooting out across the water. With the first touch, Kurt was holding his breath, tingling in every place Blaine touched him. He wondered if this was affecting Blaine as much as it was him, so he tried to sneak a look at Blaine's face. He didn't seem much different -the same smile he always had when he was teaching Kurt something new, the same enthusiasm that spilled forth from Blaine all the time. But...was that a blush? Red was creeping up his neck, flowing onto his cheeks as he turned to lock eyes with Kurt for an instant. Then back to the casting lesson, leaving Kurt with more questions than answers.

It might have been awkward with someone else, but Kurt was now used to Blaine touching him and being close so that was not a matter for anxiety. Kurt learned quickly and was casting his line into the river inside of twenty minutes.

They kept quiet so as not to scare the fish, and Kurt finally got to use his Royal Coachman. He cast his line and almost immediately got a strike. He just about lost it, forgetting to set the hook with a small jerk as Blaine had shown him. Kurt looked on the edge of panic, so Blaine slipped in behind him and put his arms around Kurt to show him how to reel in the fish. When it was just about to the shore, Blaine took the net and scooped it out. Kurt was overjoyed, jumping around as he held the brook trout in the air and grinned from ear to ear. He threw his arms around Blaine, yipping in glee and turned, fish still in hand, and planted a big kiss on Blaine's mouth with a loud *smack*. Blaine staggered back at the impact, but managed to stay standing and held on to Kurt. Blaine's eyes twinkled looking at the exuberant boy in his arms – did Kurt feel the same way about him?

Kurt never dreamed he would get so excited about something that was so messy, but he actually didn't mind the mess too much as Blaine showed him how to gut the fish. It had been fun and such a feeling of accomplishment, plus Blaine seemed so proud of him.

"Is this a large fish?" Kurt wanted to know.

"Actually, it's huge. Most are about two pounds from this river, but..." Blaine took out his fish weight, "this one comes in at a whopping 4 pounds 3 ounces. Well done, Kurt!"

They fished for another two hours and brought home six big trout: Kurt's big brookie, a golden, and four rainbows. Kurt had caught two of them. Blaine had gutted them and they ate a little lunch and headed back to the camp. Kurt wanted to stop by the cook house, which made Blaine smile. He usually shared his catch with Cookie and Shannon.

"Cookie!" Kurt sang out as he entered the building. It smelled of delicious bread baking, a scent Kurt thought he would never get tired of.

"What the..." came a grumbling as Shannon came through the doors that led to the storage room. "Oh, it's you two. What do you want?" she groused, a sour look on her face, but Kurt noticed there was a sparkle in her eyes. He smiled at her.

"I brought you a little something, Miss Shannon," Kurt grinned. Blaine had told him that trout was her favorite food and he was so pleased he could bring her a present of it. She may appear like a grump, but he was beginning to see that she liked him and she didn't fool him because he could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"What?"

He took the creel from behind his back and handed it to her. She opened it to find three plump trout, two rainbows and a golden. She couldn't even pretend to be a grump any longer.

"Oh, punkin', a little bird must have told you how much I love trout," she said, winking at Blaine. "I'm going to have a great spread for supper tonight! Thank you," she said, kissing Kurt on the cheek.

The smile on Kurt's face couldn't have been any wider. Shannon put up a hand for the boys to wait and stepped over to the cooling racks. She selected two loaves of fresh baked bread and then went to the cooler and got out a bit of bacon, a bag of leafy greens, and one tomato.

"Here, now, you wrap that trout in rashers of bacon before you bake it – then add a green salad, and bread with fresh butter. Fit for a king, that will be," she smiled.

"Thank you, Miss Shannon," the boys called as they left to walk back to the cabin.

Kurt and Blaine had washed up and prepared the supper, making Baked Irish Trout. He washed the fish and stuffed it with pieces of tomatoes and rolled it in cornmeal, then wrapped it in bacon and set it in a cast iron pan. He fried it until the bacon was a bit brown and transferred the pan to the oven to finish cooking. The fresh smell of the fish combined with the smoky bacon had their mouths watering.

"That smells divine!" Kurt crowed, still a bit proud of his Royal Coachman catching the biggest fish after Blaine said it wouldn't work. He giggled a bit to himself and looked across the table to see Blaine break his stare and blush a bit. He ducked his head in the most adorable way and Kurt smiled at him.

"I'm having such a good time, Blaine. You make each chore or task into an adventure, and I never thought I might like living in a place like this, but I think I'm going to miss it unbearably when I leave."

Blaine looked at him with big eyes as his heart skipped a beat. He certainly didn't want Kurt to leave and he felt a panic at the words. Of course, Kurt would want to go home. This place wasn't home to Kurt and as soon as he could arrange it, he'd be on his way back to Ohio. Blaine felt his heart squeeze a little bit, but he painted a neutral look on his face and pretended his world wasn't coming to an end. It felt like he'd known Kurt his whole life instead of just a few weeks. He swallowed and took another bite of the trout so he wouldn't have to speak just yet.

They finished supper with big glasses of cold water and the last two mulberry tarts. Kurt got a feeling of comfort washing the dishes and placing them in the cupboard with Blaine by his side. If it weren't for the empty place in his heart that missed his dad so much, he could be content here. He wasn't even too afraid of the Company men finding him anymore. After the one interaction with Chase, they hadn't met anyone else looking for him and Cookie had heard that Porter and Chase were working in another district right now.

"I had an idea, Kurt," Blaine said after they finished up. "You had mentioned going stargazing on your first night here. The temperature is still cold, but a lot warmer than it's been for a few weeks. Are you still interested?"

"Oh, that would be lovely!" Kurt smiled. Blaine got a couple of blankets and they dressed warmly, in several layers of everything including socks. Blaine led the way, starting out on the path that led north, then veering off at a certain place. They walked through the forest hand in hand until Blaine found the place he had in mind. It was higher in elevation than the camp and afforded a view back, Kurt being able to see the cook house behind the trees. They walked further in to the trees and came out onto a meadow of fine grass.

"We can spread the blankets here," Blaine suggested and they made sure there were no rocks as they laid the blankets out. Sitting down, they pulled the remaining blanket over them and cuddled together for warmth then laid back to look at the stars.

From where they were lying, there was an unobstructed view and no lights to compete with the array of stars spread across the heavens. It was breathtaking.

"Oh, there's Ursa Major and Ursa Minor!" Blaine pointed out. "Your turn."

"Okay, Orion's Belt," Kurt smiled.

"Draco."

"Where?"

"It sort of curves around Ursa Minor, see, those stars..." Blaine leaned close to put his cheek next to Kurt's so he could point out the correct stars for the constellation. Kurt held his breath for a second, feeling a tingle at the touch.

"Okay, let's see...to the right of Ursa Minor is Cassiopeia and Perseus below that," Kurt said, proud of himself.

Blaine looked for the Seven Sisters, but couldn't see them. "There's the Southern Cross!"

Kurt giggled. "Ah, Blaine, that's in the southern hemisphere and although you could see it from New Zealand, I'm pretty sure you can't see it here."

"Oh, yeah.." he smirked.

They lapsed into silence, scooting closer for warmth. It was really very cold. Blaine snuggled into Kurt's side, slipping his arms around Kurt's ribcage and holding tight. It hurt Kurt's bruises, but wild horses wouldn't drag a whimper out of him right now. He couldn't explain it, even to himself, but after that kiss this morning – he really wanted another one. He was too shy to ask, but every nerve was on alert, he found himself holding his breath when Blaine turned towards him, just in case. He thought about it, willing his arm to move so it was around Blaine, bringing him closer – but the muscles in his arm failed him. He closed his eyes in frustration.

"Are you okay, Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know, you seemed kind of distant. Did the trout not sit well with you?"

"I'm fine, no...the fish was the best thing I've ever tasted, Blaine. I loved every bite! I guess, I'm just a bit nervous. Don't pay me any mind, maybe I'm a little tired," Kurt said.

"We can walk back to the cabin. It's getting late," Blaine said, but snuggled closer to Kurt's side.

"I'm kind of comfortable here, are you okay with staying a little while longer?" Kurt asked, not wanting Blaine to move away from him.

"Okay, we can just look a the stars for a while. It isn't very often that we don't have any cloud cover at all. And tonight it's so clear, it feels like we can touch heaven from here," Blaine said softly. He looked sad all of a sudden.

Kurt blinked, too. He was thinking about his mother, gone over eight years now. Was she in heaven looking down on him? Had she seen the boys that beat him up and threw him on the train? It didn't seem likely to him, he really hadn't believed in God for a long time. He brought himself back to the reality in front of him. Did his mother know he liked Blaine? Did she approve? Blaine was looking up at him.

"I'm sorry, I guess I was about a million miles away," Kurt murmured. Blaine reached up and cupped Kurt's jaw. He blinked when he realized this, looking into Blaine's eyes for the second time that day. Kurt looked at Blaine's pink lips, and a jolt of heat jarred through him as their lips met. Kurt's hands flew to Blaine's face, his thumb caressing Blaine's cheek as he gently kissed those sweet lips.

They stopped to catch their breath, lying back to look once more at the stars.

"Blaine, I..." and Kurt's mind wouldn't let his mouth form the words he was feeling. "Ah, it's getting really cold out here, maybe we should get back to the cabin?"

"Yes, you're right. Here, let's fold up the blankets and get back," Blaine agreed. They folded the blankets and took the basket of food they hadn't touched and walked slowly back over the path, hand in hand.

Back at the cabin, the door had been left open and there were noises coming from inside. Blaine crept up to the door and peeked inside, Kurt right behind him. There, in the middle of the cabin floor was a raccoon.

"Don't startle him," Blaine warned. "If he gets in a cupboard or something we'll never get rid of him. They can be sort of cantankerous."

In the end, Blaine managed to get behind the animal on one side with Kurt on the other and the door open behind the intruder. They started banging on pots with spoons, slowly creeping towards him and he turned and panicked, running out the open door. Blaine began to laugh, Kurt joining in, then started singing "Rocky Raccoon".

"You've got to love the Beatles, they have a song for every occasion, don't they?" Blaine commented. Kurt giggled.

Getting ready for bed that night was not the same, Kurt was so jumpy – his nerves were on edge. It didn't seem to bother Blaine at all as he stripped down as he had every other night Kurt had been there. It had become ritual for them, Blaine helping Kurt with washing his back and making a poultice for the bruising. Last night he had declared Kurt's back healed enough not to need the poultice any longer, but he still helped Kurt reach his back to wash it.

They avoided each other's eyes, hurrying through the routine and getting dressed in the thermals and flannel, ready for a colder snap in the weather according to Shannon who knew because of her arthritis. Kurt tightened the rope on the bed, still charmed by the complex simplicity of the contraption.

"Kurt, wait to get into bed for a bit, I need to do something first," Blaine asked. Kurt nodded.

From the back of the wood stove, Blaine got a round metal pan with a lid and a long handle. He used a metal shovel to place some burning coals in the pan part, then clamped the lid on and put it between the covers of the bed. He let it sit for a few minutes, then moved it to another part of the bed. Kurt watched him, then caught on.

"Oh, that's a bed warmer, isn't it? I've read about them, but never seen one. Does it work?"

"See for yourself," Blaine offered with a sweep of his hand before setting it back in the corner.

Kurt slid between the blankets, marveling at how warm it was. Blaine was right behind him, practically purring as he snuggled down beside Kurt.

Tonight, for the first time, it was Kurt that took Blaine in his arms as they got sleepy.

"Did I tell you what a good time I had today?" Kurt said softly.

"I'm so glad you did, Kurt, I wanted you to."

"I think I just like that word...'stargazing'. It just sounds magical, doesn't it? And being out there with nothing between us and the heavens, that was magical, too," Kurt said very softly as he laid his head on Blaine's chest. Blaine sat up, holding Kurt's head close to his breast, and started humming.

"Did you wish on a star tonight, Kurt?" Blaine asked, and Kurt pulled back to look into those beautiful hazel eyes.

"I did, how did you know?"

"I just guessed – because I did, too."

Kurt smiled.

Blaine looked at Kurt again and hummed for a moment or two, then began to sing:

_Why are there so many_

_Songs about rainbows_

_And what's on the other side_

_Rainbows are visions_

_They're only illusions_

_And rainbows have nothing to hide_

_So we've been told_

_And some choose to believe it_

_But I know they're wrong, wait and see._

_Someday we'll find it_

_The Rainbow Connection_

_The lovers, the dreamers, and me_

Kurt smiled and began to sing, too:

**Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high**

**There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby**

**Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue**

**And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true**

Blaine took up his part again, looking at Kurt and smiling as he held out his hand for Kurt to hold:

_Who said that every wish_

_Would be heard and answered_

_When wished on the evening star?_

_Somebody thought of that _

_And someone believed it_

_And look what it's done so far_

_What's so amazing_

_That keeps us stargazing_

_What do we think we might see?_

Kurt took it up again:

**Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.**

**Where troubles melt like lemon drops**

**High above the chimney tops**

**That's where you'll find me...**

Blaine sang:

_Have you been half asleep_

_And have you heard voices_

_I've heard them calling my name_

_Are these the sweet sounds _

_That called the young sailors_

_I think they're one and the same_

_I've heard it too many times to ignore it_

_There's something that I'm supposed to be._

Kurt and Blaine sang the last verse and chorus together:

**Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly**

**Birds fly over the rainbow**

**Why then, oh, why can't I?**

**If happy little blue birds fly beyond the rainbow**

**Why, oh, why can't I?**

_Someday we'll find it_

_The Rainbow Connection_

_The lovers, the dreamers, and me._

"You are a good friend, Blaine, and I want you to know how much that means to me. I want you to know..." Kurt couldn't say anything. His voice froze and he pushed his forehead into Blaine's back, gently. It wasn't that he didn't know what to say, only that he didn't know how to say it.

Blaine understood and turned to face Kurt. He took Kurt's chin in his hand and made him look up at him.

"What, Kurt? You can tell me. You can tell me anything, we're friends, aren't we?" he asked, searching Kurt's striking blue eyes for something, maybe the strength Kurt needed.

"Blaine, your friendship means the world to me, I just didn't know how to tell you," Kurt said.

"You just did. And yours means the same to me, Kurt. You are my best friend," he whispered before leaving a soft kiss on Kurt's lips.

Kurt closed his eyes and wiped a tear from his cheek. "Thank you, Blaine."

Neither boy fell asleep right away. They tangled their arms and legs together in the way they'd done it every night since the first day, but sleep would not come. Neither one knew what would change with the kissing now in their friendship. They were both comforted by the embrace, but it remained that they were also both scared.


	5. Chapter 5 - Prize Fight

Bound for Glory – Chapter 5

Blaine spent a lot of time in the warehouse, training for his fight two weeks away. Kurt often went with him, watching as he punched a body bag or trained with the speed bag. He would sit at the edge of the ring, chatting with the old man that was Blaine's trainer, Pete. He learned that Pete was the man that trained Blaine's brother, Cooper, when he used to box.

Blaine was fast. He wasn't overly muscled, but beautifully toned with lightning quick reflexes. Kurt did notice that his curls would sometimes drop into his face, temporarily blinding him in practice. After a training session one day, he offered to trim Blaine's hair.

"Really, you know how to cut hair?" Blaine asked, a smile on his face.

"Sure, I used to do my dad's," Kurt answered as they walked back to the cabin. He felt a tiny scream in the back of his throat thinking about his dad, he missed him and worried about him constantly.

Blaine had to borrow a pair of scissors from Shannon, but that was soon remedied and they were back at the cabin and Blaine had removed his shirt. He was tight in every muscle, looking apprehensive when he glanced at the scissors in Kurt's hand.

"Just relax, I'm not going to castrate you, just trim your hair a bit so you don't miss his fist flying at you," Kurt admonished. He ran a warm hand under Blaine's jaw to comfort him. It was just a reflex, not any sort of seduction, and Blaine grinned.

Kurt got some water in his hand, dampening Blaine's curls and ran a comb through the silky locks. He used his other hand to smooth the hair in between each stroke with the comb, and Blaine sighed. The small sound went curling down Kurt's ear and nestled in his chest for a moment before sense swept it right back out again. This was just to help Blaine, not meant to be foreplay...but in Kurt's heart of hearts - it felt like it. Kurt cut his hair and Blaine rushed over to look in the small shaving mirror over the water basin.

"Thanks, Kurt," Blaine grinned, swishing his head back and forth to test whether the bothersome curls would stay in place. They did. Kurt smiled, thinking how beautiful his friend was, with his dark, silky curls and those golden blazing hazel eyes. He got a little lost in thinking about Blaine and had to shake his head to bring himself back to reality.

"You're welcome. Should we walk the trap line this morning?" Kurt asked, not because he had a burning desire to set snares, but because he liked being alone with Blaine so they could talk. And hold hands, he liked holding Blaine's hand.

Walking through the camp, they ran across a man trying to start a piece of machinery. It made a sound like it was wanting to start, but every time it failed. The guy driving it looked more than a little frustrated, brushing his hands through his copper red hair as he held his hardhat in his hand, stamping one foot and kicking a rock.

Looking up, he waved at Blaine, smiling as he walked over from his place by the big machine. His grimace turned into a grin as he neared the boys.

"You gonna win on Saturday night, kid?" he asked, patting Blaine on the back.

"Sure I am. Don't I always?" Blaine said, looking pleased the man noticed him. The man grinned even wider.

"Yeppers, you do. You're our very own champ, kid," he said. "Who's this?" he asked, indicating Kurt.

"Just a new guy in camp," Blaine said. "Kurt, meet August Waverly, he's the foreman on the west project with my brother, Cooper."

The two shook hands.

"Are you having some problems with your, ah, truck?" Kurt asked.

"Feller buncher. It's used to gather the detached limbs on a downed tree. Yeah, she won't start. The mechanic is out at the far south end, so it will be days before he can get here to fix this. I don't have another one I can spare, so we need to readjust the schedule. The boss isn't gonna like it one bit," August said.

"I can look at it," Kurt offered. August and Blaine both looked at him.

"You know what you're doing, kid?" August asked.

"Yeah, I'll tell you if it's over my head," Kurt assured him.

August led him to the machine and Kurt climbed up to look. He borrowed some tools from the camp shop and was up to his shoulders in a few minutes. He didn't take long, calling out orders to try to start it, turn a gear, rock it forward a few inches, and when he was done, the machine sputtered to life, getting stronger as the minutes ticked by. A cloud of dirty smoke belched out and the sound of the motor settled into a steady purr. August was grinning from ear to ear.

"Blaine, where'd you find this kid?" August asked.

"He fell out of the sky, I think he's an angel that lost his way." Blaine said, and August gave him a funny, but indulgent look.

"Kurt, if you want some work, let me know. I'll hire you to be the in-camp mechanic if you want. Think about it and if you're interested, I'll be in camp Saturday night. It was good to meet you, kid," he said, shaking Kurt's hand. He turned to Blaine.

"Cooper will be in camp Friday night. I gave him the weekend off to come see your fight," August said, smiling when he saw how excited Blaine was. He waved goodbye, driving away on the feller buncher.

"Oh, it will be nice to meet your brother, Blaine. Is your dad coming, too?" Kurt asked.

"Probably. I hope so anyway," Blaine had a far-away look in his eyes. He shook his head, returning to Kurt and the conversation.

"I wonder if anyone has gotten word to my dad that I'm safe," Kurt mused, but Blaine was in his own little world and didn't hear.

Saturday arrived and with it a lot of men coming in from the outlying projects. It was payday and there was a prize fight that night, so the camp was crowded, the sounds of the men arguing the virtues of their favorite fighter floated over the camp. Blaine had been resting all morning, Kurt helping by massaging his back and arms, placing hot packs on his muscles. After which Blaine took an hour of light balance training with Pete, skipping rope and dancing around, moving his feet in lightning quick patterns. He ate just a little, and talked to Kurt as he waited for the fight time.

Kurt wondered why he hadn't yet met Cooper, but didn't want to say anything to take Blaine's concentration from the fight. He had seen his competition, a guy the same size as Blaine, but taller with longer arms. He knew enough about boxing to know that could make a difference, but Cookie had said that Blaine had a killer left jab and a more potent right cross. Plus, he was lighter on his feet than this guy.

The time finally came and he was sitting by Blaine's corner. His trainer came out with him. Pete got into the ring with him, bringing a stool for Blaine to sit on. They sat huddled, heads together as Pete gave Blaine last minute instructions. Kurt sat, nervous and chewing his fingernails, waiting for the bell to ring. Lumbermen came in and sat down, eager for the fight to start.

A man walked to the front, next to the ring and said something to Blaine, who brightened up and pointed to Kurt. As the man walked closer, Kurt's eyes were on him and he came to sit in the empty chair. He was tall with curly black hair, huge penetrating blue eyes, and dressed like the other men in blue jeans and plaid flannel shirt with a large knife in a sheath strapped to his waist. He was wearing a pea coat, gloves sticking out of the pocket, which he took off and slung over the back of the chair before sitting down. Pete looked over and nodded at the man, who winked back.

"Cooper?" Kurt asked, though it was patently obvious.

"Yeah, came to see my baby brother knock the shit out of this assclown," Cooper said, sticking his hand out. Kurt took his hand in a warm clasp.

"Kurt," Kurt said, smiling at the large man who looked so much like Blaine. The crowd was settling, so they sat down with the rest and turned their eyes to the ring. The announcer came to the center and the warehouse became silent.

"This is a Welterweight Match, Marquess of Queensbury rules. There will be twelve rounds, three minutes each with one minute between each round. Betting is closed. In this corner, we have at 144 pounds: Stan "Lucky" Von Stroh in the red trunks," he waved at the blond man who had his gloves up waving at the crowd. "And in this corner at 145 pounds, Blaine Anderson in the gold trunks." Blaine walked to the center of the ring and the crowd cheered.

Kurt couldn't hear what the referee was saying, it was loud and he had no microphone. The two fighters tapped gloves and stepped back. The bell rang.

Kurt had never actually seen a boxing match before. Although both fighters wore protective gear, it looked like each hit hurt a lot. As the two danced around each other, a gloved fist striking faster than a snake from time to time and Cooper saying things like "Upper cut" and "Right cross" so Kurt would know the names of the hits. All he could tell was that Blaine seemed to be making contact more often than Von Stroh, the other fighter, was. The bell rang and the contenders went to their corners, their trainers taking the mouthguards from them and squirting water into their open mouths, then catching it in a bucket when they spit it back out. Pete rubbed Blaine's back a little, patting him while he spoke into his ear, Blaine nodding as he spoke.

Cooper leaned towards Kurt. "How long have you known Blaine?"

"About a month, I think. He's letting me stay at his cabin – oh...he loaned me some of your clothes, I think. I hope that's okay?" Kurt asked.

Cooper laughed. "I outgrew those," he indicated the shirt and jeans Kurt was wearing. "No problem, take whatever fits you."

"Blaine has been really excited you were coming to see him fight," Kurt ventured.

Coop smiled. "I never miss his fights. I always bet on him, keeps me in the money," he grinned bigger. The warehouse was noisy and Kurt leaned forward to hear better, but could still hardly hear anything Cooper was saying.

The bell rang again and everyone's attention was back on the 24 square foot ring. The fight went on, round after round, some going to Blaine, fewer to Von Stroh. They were up to the eleventh round. Kurt and Cooper spoke a little to each other during the minutes between rounds.

Cookie leaned over to Shannon, "They look like two dogs, smelling each other's ass," he laughed, nodding at Kurt and Cooper. Shannon giggled.

"Are you staying in camp for very long?" Kurt asked, wondering where they would all sleep in the cozy cabin. He would miss snuggling up to Blaine at night, but didn't want to be a wedge between the two brothers.

"Just a day or so," Coop answered.

"Is your dad here to see Blaine, too?" Kurt asked, looking over his shoulder to see if he saw a man that had the Anderson silky curls.

Cooper just looked at Kurt, his eyes a bit wide. He shook his head and thought about what to say, but the bell rang for the eleventh round. Von Stroh came out of his corner and by this time both men were tired. They danced around each other, Blaine much lighter on his feet, but Von Stroh was the one with the heavier punch. He was trying to get a punch in but with Blaine's defense still strong he was having a lot of trouble landing anything. Blaine was much more tired than he had appeared and blinked his eyes once too often. Von Stroh landed a roundhouse on Blaine's face and blood flew everywhere. The referee watched for a brief moment and when it became clear that the blood running down Blaine's eye was obscuring his vision, he stopped the fight and sent both contenders to their respective corners.

Pete was ready, wiping the cut several times and applying styptic to stop the bleeding as Blaine closed his eyes in pain. He pasted a plaster over the cut and Blaine was ready to get back in the ring moments later. Coop looked concerned, but not upset and he glanced over at Kurt, who had tears in his eyes. That startled Coop and he surreptitiously took Kurt's hand and squeezed it for a second before letting it go. Kurt looked at him and he whispered, "He's fine, Kurt. Face cuts just bleed a lot."

"Okay," Kurt mumbled and drew closer to the large man's side, as if to shield himself behind Cooper's protection.

Blaine and Von Stroh were back in the center of the ring and the bell rang. They both danced by each other, bobbing and weaving to see what advantage they could take of the other. Blaine landed a few body shots, avoiding any strikes by the man in the red trunks. The bell rang for the end of that round and they went to their corners. Blaine looked so tired, Kurt was worried, but looking across at Von Stroh, he looked just as tired. It was good there was only one more round. Blaine turned his head after listening to Pete and took a swallow of water, spitting it into the bucket. Pete looked at the cut once more, removing the soaked plaster and adding another one.

Kurt and Cooper were watching Blaine as Coop leaned closer to Kurt. "He's up on points with the judges, seven rounds to four. He's got it unless Stan can knock him out in the final round."

Kurt glanced at Coop, not sure what to ask, but Cooper seemed to know anyway. "Blaine has never been knocked out. It doesn't mean there isn't a first time, Stan is good. But I know my baby brother, and Pete is the best trainer around. Watch Blaine wipe the floor with the kid. I hope you bet on him?"

"Ah, no. I don't have any money to bet, I'm just here for moral support," Kurt said.

The bell rang and the fighters were back, ready to get it on. They only circled, clinched together for a moment before the referee broke them apart. As Von Stroh stepped back, Blaine pulled back his arm and landed a right upper cut on his opponent's jaw and Stan's eyes rolled up and he hit the mat with a resounding crash. The ref put his arm out to stop Blaine and started the count. Blaine danced in place until the final slap to the canvas, the warehouse silent. With the final slap came a roar of the crowd and Von Stroh's coach was on the floor, picking his fighter up and washing his face with a cold cloth. He blinked awake and looked groggily around himself.

They went to their corners to await the judges. Blaine sat on the stool, drinking some of the water and moving his arms around. He tapped his feet and turned his face to Kurt and Coop, smiling. The ref was back, motioning the fighters into the center of the ring. He took each man by their wrist.

"The winner of this bout by knockout is Blaine Anderson!" and he raised Blaine's arm into the air. Blaine's face split into a grin and he pumped his fist into the air. He went directly to Von Stroh and held out his arms, gathering him into a hug and telling him it was a good fight, Stan saying the same thing. They touched gloves one last time and left to the dressing rooms at the back of the warehouse.

"Let's go, Kurt," Cooper said, holding his hand out to guide Kurt out of the seats and into the dressing rooms. By the time they got there, Blaine was in the shower and Pete was grinning, hugging Cooper when he saw him enter the room.

"He's got it, Coop. He could go far with this, he's just like your dad used to be," he grinned.

Used to be? Kurt wondered what he meant by that.

Blaine, now dressed in clean clothes and his wet hair freezing as they make their way across the camp to the mess hall, sits in the middle of a crowd of well-wishers. Kurt sat close to him as Cooper and the men around them buy him drink after drink. Blaine didn't drink all of them, just a sip or two of most and the bar tender is diluting them as well, knowing Blaine doesn't like to drink.

Cooper fields the crowd, making sure Blaine is protected from the angry men that lost because they bet on Von Stroh. After a long night of it, Coop slides Blaine out the back door, Kurt going along with the brothers.

They walked slowly across the camp, towards the cabin, stopping to look up at the stars or listen to a bird in the trees. Inside the tiny cabin, Coop draws the three chairs up to the edge of the fireplace and begins setting the fire to a roaring force so they can stay warm. Nights are getting colder and colder. Kurt goes over to the stove and gets the stew pot from the back of the stove where it has been simmering gently all day and stirs it, smelling the chunks of rich venison with the vegetables and potatoes. Cooper's mouth is watering as Kurt dishes out three helpings and they sit in front of the fire to talk over the fight.

'I thought you had him in the seventh round, Squirt!" Cooper enthuses, but Blaine shakes his head.

"No, I hit him but from where you were sitting, you couldn't see – he backed up enough that it was just a graze. Much as I hate to admit it, I wasn't even close. It was when he got me in the eleventh that I thought I was gone – he can dish out a lot of punishment if he's sober. I don't think he was drunk, or even close to it, but he's had one or two and it slowed his reaction time down," Blaine explained. He looked over at Kurt, but Kurt wasn't saying anything. He hated the fights, hated boxing, and he was upset that Blaine had been hurt.

"Let me see that cut on your brow, Blaine. Do I need to make a poultice?" he asked, thinking of the poultices Blaine had made for him in the first days.

"I can get that going. Give me two shakes of a lamb's tail and I'll have it ready, baby brother," Coop smiled. "I just need to run over to Shannon's and get a few things. Be right back.." he grinned at his brother and got his coat on, then was gone.

Kurt walked over to Blaine, looking closely at his head to determine how much damage has been done. Blaine moves his head away.

"No, Kurt. Let Coop take care of it. Just come here, okay?" he asked. Kurt came close and Blaine pulled him down to sit next to him on the chair. Kurt automatically put his arms around Blaine's shoulders and laid his head on the top of Blaine's head.

"I'm glad you're okay. I know you're good at what you do, that you are fast and accurate and strong. But I was worried about you today. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, Kurt. It's okay. It's good to know someone cares – someone who hasn't bet on me and therefore only cares if I win that is," he laughed, but it wasn't funny. Kurt felt more like crying.

"Why doesn't Cooper fight any more?" he asked.

"He got hit too hard one night. It gave him an aneurysm. A very small one, but I begged him not to fight any more because one blow could blow that aneurysm and he would die. Plus, he doesn't need to fight any more, he makes good money as a lumberjack," Blaine smiled. "Before he quit, there wasn't anyone in the whole company that could beat Cooper Anderson. He was a champion of the first order," Blaine smiled, obviously proud of his big brother.

"Is that why you fight? For the money? Because you aren't a lumberjack? Blaine, you could go somewhere else, you know. You could go to school or do anything, you don't need to endanger your life by being here, by fighting," Kurt grasped at straws, not liking the fact that Blaine put himself in such danger.

"What? Move to a city in Ohio where I can't even fish for trout for supper or keep my goats? No thank you. I don't want to live in a place where I can't take a lungful of air without coughing, where I can't shout up at the stars without somebody telling me to be quiet, without a way to get away from people whenever I want some privacy. I like it here just fine, Kurt." Blaine patted Kurt's knee to calm him. He leaned forward and kissed Kurt's cheek, stroking his thumb across and smiling at Kurt. Kurt smiled back.

Cooper came back, not saying anything as he saw Kurt and Blaine sitting so closely on one chair, hands entwined. He set about boiling water to steep the herbs and placing straw in the little pan as he steeped the herbs for a while. He got a bottle of water from the cupboard and drank it down, got another and sat in the chair closest to the fireplace.

They sat in companionable silence, Blaine and Kurt had moved to the settee with a quilt wrapped around them. Sleep was beginning to take Blaine and he was finally lying down with his head in Kurt's lap – Kurt carding his fingers idly through the mop of curls. They talked about nothing really, just thoughts about life and how things might play out in the future. Coop said he thought Blaine probably made around $8,000 for the fight for his part of the tickets and the betting percentage. Blaine didn't get as much as some fighters because he stayed in his own camp. To make the big money you had to travel to other camps so the owners could promote you, but Blaine wouldn't do that. He said he didn't need that much money, and he liked to stay home. He fell asleep on Kurt's lap, the gentle stroking made him far too comfortable and his eyes closed and he was asleep. He snored a little, a snuffly noise like a small animal.

"So, I never did get an answer, Cooper, was your dad here tonight?" Kurt asked as directly as he could. He was tired of having people look at him in such a funny way when he mentioned Blaine's father.

"Is he here, looking over Blaine? Probably. I'd like to think so. But will he show up at the door and eat supper with us? No. He's dead," Cooper said simply, looking right into Kurt's eyes as if he were challenging Kurt to argue.

Kurt's eyes got wide. "But...Blaine said..." he stopped, trying to think about exactly what Blaine had said about his father. Not much. "I must have misunderstood, I was under the impression that he was still in camp and Blaine saw him once a month or so. I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Cooper, and thankful for your understanding."

"It's okay, Kurt. I know how Blaine talks about dad like he's still here. I don't know how much he told you – that our mother died giving birth to him, so Dad brought him here and we brought him up, just the two of us. I was twelve when he was born. Just about everyone here thinks about Blaine as his son or little brother. Dad died four years ago, and Blaine had a hard time getting over it. One of the shacks caught fire and the owner's daughter, Lenore, was in the shack. Dad went in and saved her, but a beam had caught fire and burned through. It fell and hit Dad as it fell, pinning him to the ground and broke his back. He burned to death before anyone could get him out from under the beam. Blaine still thinks he's coming home one day, even though he saw the body at the funeral. I guess we all just indulge him too much, but he was so devastated nobody knew what to do," Cooper said, trying not to let the tears come again, trying to be strong so he wouldn't wake Blaine up to hear it again.

Kurt was blinking back tears of his own. He loved his father so much, and being kept from him was devastating, he couldn't imagine how hard it would be if his father was dead and there was no hope of ever seeing him again. He leaned forward a bit and took Cooper's hand, giving it a squeeze before returning to petting Blaine's curls. Coop cleared his throat and continued:

"I have to be gone about eighty percent of the time, and while Cookie and Shannon take care of him as well as they can, neither one is any spring chicken and they have their own jobs to do. That's why I was so happy to hear you were staying with him," Coop said.

Kurt rubbed his hand slowly down Blaine's back, making small patterns. He was trying to process what was going on, feeling a little overwhelmed at this new information.

So, that's why the owner lets him stay – out of obligation to your father? He lets Blaine have the cabin. It doesn't seem like enough," Kurt said.

"He gave us each a trust fund, but neither of us has touched it. I think Blaine blames him somehow. Maybe for not having all the safety things installed, like a fire extinguisher. That shack was old and should have been torn down, I'm still not sure why Lenore was in it that day. But Blaine stays here to be close to me, and because he doesn't know how else to live. This has been his whole life, Kurt. He'd die in a city, or at the very least, his soul would die. So, until I leave, Blaine will stay here. We try to look out for him, Cookie and Shannon make sure he has food, a lot of the men hunt and share with him, things like that. He seems happy, if a bit lonely," Cooper lamented. "Until I heard you were here."

"How did you know I was here?" he decided to ask.

"You can't keep anything private here. It was all over the far camps the day the company men threw you off the empty. Then the day Chase thought you were me, that was pretty clever of Blaine to tell him that. I don't know a lot about you, only that you had been thrown on the train in Ohio and woke up here in Oregon, and that my brother had taken you in. August did say as you were a good mechanic and he'd offered you a job. If you're as important to Blaine as it looks like you are..." Coop raised an eyebrow, stopping to allow Kurt to speak if he wanted to, to confirm or deny it. Kurt moved his head in a negative shake to indicate he didn't have anything to say and Coop went on, "I'm fine with you staying."

"Thanks, Cooper," Kurt told him. This wasn't an area he and Blaine had entered yet, and they were going to have to speak about it.

"We better wake sleeping beauty there and get into bed. Tomorrow's going to be a big day, and I need to take Blaine to get his fight money. It won't hurt to have more than one person along in case things get..ah...sticky," Coop said, standing and starting to remove his clothes. Apparently it's an Anderson thing, just standing and removing all your clothes for bed, no matter who might be there. Kurt took off all of his and was washing at the basin in a few minutes. He got his pajamas on and came over to the settee where Blaine was draped across the seat and arms. He gently shook Blaine a few times, "Blaine, honey, need to wake up and get ready for bed, okay?" Kurt asked him. Coop rolled his eyes, not used to seeing anyone cater to his brother in this way.

Blaine opened his tired eyes and Kurt helped him to undress and wash before his brother came to look at the cut above his eyes. He washed it with warm water, then fixed the poultice over it, nudging Kurt to hold it on as Blaine began to doze off. Kurt held it there as long as possible, but the two of them were so tired, they kept blinking their eyes and yawning.

Coop helped Kurt get Blaine's layers of pajamas on and cranked the rope bed, then they got Blaine into the middle of the large bed for the night. Kurt, after worrying all day about it, just jumped in and curled around Blaine. He was almost asleep when Cooper climbed in the other side and they all fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

Blaine started out being quiet, just lying peacefully, but the fight was still in his brain because he got more jittery and jumpy as the night progressed. He was sleeping peacefully one minute and twitching and wriggling the next. The unpleasant accident took place around two in the morning. Blaine was once more quite restless and Kurt had pulled him closer to calm him in his sleep just as Coop did the same thing, resulting in a tug-of-war – Blaine being the prize. Being startled, Blaine struck out, clocking Kurt right in the cheek.

"Yeeeooooouuuuuwww!" Kurt shrieked. He had been struck before, a lot of times by the bullies in his school, but being hit by a welter weight champ square on the cheekbone hurt. A lot. Cooper jumped to the rescue, grabbing Blaine's arms and holding him in a wrestling hold to keep him from following up with a right cross.

"Blaine!" Coop yelled, shaking his brother. Blaine woke up with a start and saw what he'd done to Kurt.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt!" he shrieked, gathering his friend close and trying to look a the damage. "Are you okay?"

Cooper, wide awake by this time, got out of bed to get the lamp and bring it closer.

"He jabbed you a good one, pal, it's a good thing he wasn't awake, it might have been worse," Coop said, inspecting Kurt's cheekbone to see if it was broken. "Nope, not broken, you're lucky."

"Hmmmm...I sure don't feel lucky," Kurt said and Blaine cringed.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I was having a dream – reliving the fight. I tend to do that the night after. I should have insisted that I sleep alone, this is all my fault," he said, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on Kurt's other cheek. "Do you forgive me?" he asked, fluttering his eyes to keep from letting the tears come. He really felt terrible about it.

"Of course, I do. It wasn't your fault," Kurt said, patting Blaine's arm to console him. Cooper took the kerosene lamp and opened the door to the cabin. He stepped out for a moment and was back in, carrying something. He sat on the edge of the bed, and held what was in his hand up to Kurt's cheek. Kurt jumped.

"You're holding a rock to my battered cheek, Coop? Why?"

"It's cold. There isn't any snow, so the rock is smooth and cold – to keep the swelling down. If you don't, it'll swell so much by morning you won't be able to open your eye."

"Okay, I get it. Thanks, Coop," Kurt said, holding the smooth rock to his cheek. It still stung, but wasn't all that bad. "Let's get back to sleep, I'm tired."

"I agree, but I think I better sleep in the middle, Blaine is still twitchy from the fight and I can get out of his way I think," Cooper said, moving to trade places with Blaine. They all fell asleep in a few minutes, Kurt's cheek resting on the cold rock.

Morning found Kurt wrapped up in a tangle of legs, but they weren't Blaine's. He started to move, but the legs were heavier and he felt trapped for a moment. Blinking awake, he saw it was the other brother, Cooper, playing octopus. Not only were his legs tangled with Cooper's, but Blaine had moved to his other side and was holding him from the back, his arms wrapped tightly around his chest. There was no way he was moving an inch with these Anderson's holding him down.

"Ahemmm..." Kurt cleared his throat. "Hey, guys, good morning?"

Blaine opened his eyes, taking a look around him to assess what was going on.

"Cooper! Hey, Coop. Let go of my boyfriend. Hey, wake up," Blaine yelled, trying to reach his brother to shake him awake.

Kurt snapped his head around, but Blaine wasn't looking at him. Boyfriend?

"What?" a very sleepy Coop said, sitting up a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Coop, can you please untangle yourself from me so I can get up?" Kurt asked politely. This was getting embarrassing. "We look like a litter of hound pups. Let me loose, okay?" and he pushed at Coop's leg that was between his knees.

"Oh, yeah...sorry, it's something genetic, I think. All the Anderson men sleep like this," Coop smiled, moving away and swinging his legs off the bed to sit up.

Blaine took advantage of his brother's movement to snuggle closer to Kurt. He turned Kurt's face towards himself to look at the cheekbone he'd hit during the night. It was bright purple, but not too swollen. The same could not be said for his eyebrow where Stan Von Stroh connected with a left jab during the fight yesterday. Kurt shivered at the sight of it, the hugely swollen bruise taking over his whole face, looking so sore where the old blood had pooled under his eye, giving him a terrible shiner.

Kurt was a little sick to his stomach looking at it. He was used to seeing bruises on his own body from the beatings he had taken at school, but this was far and away the worst he'd seen. He started to get out of bed reluctantly, although truth be told, he'd rather lie in Blaine's arms for a few more hours. He sighed and got out of bed.

The three of them went to the outhouse and back, dancing in the cold air. Cooper cooked a breakfast of sausages, homemade by Shannon, along with eggs, toast, and milk. It was on the table in short order and the boys sat down to eat as soon as they got in from milking Betsy and Bossy and feeding the animals.

After breakfast, everyone was ready to go and they walked across the camp to the dining hall where most of the lumberjacks had gathered. It was Sunday morning and the camp preacher had finished the church service, so the men were standing around eating doughnuts and drinking coffee. At the approach of Blaine, a cheer went up and many of the men came over to congratulate him. A lot of them pressed money into his hand, small thank yous from the men who had bet big and won. Von Stroh had been a champ for a while, so the odds were heavily against Blaine when the fight had been set up. Because Blaine didn't fight in other camps, he wasn't as well known and the betting was against him.

"Hey, Michael," Blaine greeted a man as he approached the group that was standing around Blaine, Cooper, and Kurt.

Michael walked up, holding his hand out and Blaine shook it. Michael had been a close friend of Blaine's dad and had known him since he was a baby.

"You did Sterling proud, son, I know he's watching over you. He was a good man, your dad was," Michael said, speaking of Blaine and Cooper's father. "I have your money for you, if you want it now. I'd get it into the camp bank soon, though, with everyone from the outlying projects in camp today." He looked over at Cooper, who nodded.

"I will. Thank you, Michael."

"How much did he earn, Michael? I was figuring about $8,000?" Coop said.

"Nope. It was closer to $12,000. Good job, Blaine. Plus the prize money, which is $5,000. How's your brow?"

"A bit on the tender side, but doing fine. Stan really caught me. I was lucky he was so tired, he could have really clocked me," Blaine grinned.

Michael turned to Kurt. "Hi, my name is Michael, I've heard you were in camp. A friend of Blaine's?"

"Yes, sir," Kurt answered.

"Looks like you've been fighting, too? Are you a boxer?" Michael asked, indicating the bruised cheek.

"Oh, no sir. Just a sparring partner," he smiled, patting Blaine on the shoulder and his friend blushed. He'd already apologized several times and now Kurt was kidding him about it.

"Better get Pete to teach you to duck a bit better, kid," Michael said, "you'll live longer."

Michael handed an envelope to Cooper, who put it in his shirt. They said goodbye and the boys and Coop left the dining hall to stroll over to the camp offices. Blaine put the money in his account, got his receipt and they headed back to the cabin for lunch.

"How long before you have to get back?" Kurt asked, hoping Coop might stay a while. He was beginning to like Blaine's brother.

"Not sure, soon, though. August is giving me a ride so I won't have to walk."

"Yeah, I worked at my dad's shop since I could lift a carburetor. He was having some trouble with that lifter thing..." he looked at Blaine.

"Feller buncher," Blaine supplied.

"Yeah, the feller buncher. I may not know what all the big equipment is used for, but an engine is an engine and I can repair them," Kurt smiled. He may not know how to tie a fly or set a snare, but he did know machinery.

"August is a fair man, he's a good one to have on your side, Kurt. If you're going to stay for a while, you'll need friends. A logging camp isn't a safe place if you don't know how to navigate the trouble areas. We're far from any kind of police involvement, so it's kind of like the old west – you need to be able to handle certain situations. But Blainers here can show you the ropes. He's been doing it all his life."

Kurt just smiled at him. He was beginning to understand how it worked, but he was smart enough to also understand that he had no clue about most of the politics involved.

It was almost supper time and Kurt and the Anderson boys had just gotten back from a very successful fishing trip, a stringer filled with seven large rainbows and two brookies was swinging behind them as they entered the cabin. Not two minutes later there was a knock on the door.

"August!" Blaine grinned at his brother's foreman.

"Blaine. Good fight, I won a roll, buddy. You're turning out to be every bit the champ your brother was," August grinned back.

"How'd you like to stay for supper? We caught a mess of trout and it's all ready for the pan if you're hungry," Cooper asked, patting his brother on the back.

"A fresh trout wouldn't go amiss, for a guy as hungry as I am. Thanks, I'd love to," August accepted. Blaine and Kurt walked towards the kitchen in the corner of the large room. August sat at the table with Cooper and got out a deck of cards, Coop brought over the cribbage board.

A few minutes later, Blaine was mixing up the batter for corn dodgers and Kurt was dressing the trout for the frying pan.

"Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six and a pair is eight," Cooper counted his points and August rubbed his face with his free hand. He was holding his cards so tight he was almost bending them.

"Go, damn it."

Cooper laughed.

"Oh, you haven't won yet, Coop. Don't get too big for your britches, my man. Do you recall last week when I skunked you?"

"Just deal, too much talking, not enough card playing," Cooper grouched.

"Skunked him?" Kurt asked Blaine in a whisper.

"It's when you beat your opponent by so many points that you are more than a street ahead," Blaine grinned at the thought of August skunking Cooper. He must have giggled too loudly because he looked up to see Cooper glaring at him. He turned around in a hurry to finish peeling the sweet potatoes for supper, grinning to himself. He looked over at Kurt to see the same grin and they dissolved in giggles.

Everyone was sitting at the table, eating the fresh trout, cornbread and candied sweet potatoes. Good natured kidding gave way to a serious discussion about the machinery that needed tending to when August asked Kurt if he could be over at the mechanics shed on Wednesday morning to start some maintenance on the equipment.

After supper, Coop and August left. They were back soon with some supplies from the cook house: ice, salt, and a few other things. Blaine's face lit up and they brought in the ice cream crank freezer. Coop got busy with Blaine making the ice cream to be frozen: goat milk, honey, vanilla, blackberries, and a few other ingredients. It was placed in the freezer, the paddles set in place and the ice and salt added to the wooden freezer outside the metal container. All of them took turns cranking and it took quite a while before it was too hard to crank. Blaine took out the paddles and they set it to cure for an hour, still wrapped in the ice and salt, a large burlap sack covering it all.

Waiting for the ice cream, Blaine took out his harmonica and started to blow a tune, the others taking it up to sing along. Cooper's voice was very similar to Blaine's, but not quite as rich to Kurt's ears. August was a deep baritone while Kurt's countertenor put the cherry on top. They sang old songs, some hymns or spirituals, some folk songs that had come down in their families for generations. During a break in the songs, Kurt went to sit close to Blaine and sang very quietly:

"_You are my sunshine,_

_My only sunshine._

_You make me happy_

_When skies are gray,_

_You'll never know, dear,_

_How much I love you,_

_Please don't take_

_My sunshine away."_

Blaine smiled at Kurt, glancing over to see his brother and August were talking and didn't notice Kurt's singing. He leaned over and kissed Kurt's cheek.

"Thank you, Kurt," Blaine whispered and kissed him again.

They ate the blackberry ice cream and talked a while longer before August picked up his hat and coat, wrapping up for the cold walk back to the bunk house.

"I'm going back with Auggie, we're leaving early in the morning to go back to the project and I can leave from there and not disturb you guys. I'll be back on Wednesday, I'm driving the knuckle-boom loader in, he wants you to look at the pin joint. Then you'll need to go back with me to look a the chain-flail delimber. Later we are going to check out the clam-bunk skidder and the grapple skidder," Cooper told Kurt, who looked at him with an open mouth. Coop and August laughed. "That is..if you want the job, kid. What do you say?"

"Yes, sir, I'd love to work for you," Kurt said, hoping his gratefulness showed through the simple acceptance. August smiled back at him.

"Don't worry, kid, you're going to learn all their names. It is just basic equipment and only needs the stuff you'd do for your chevy at home. These just have fancier names attached. So, I'll see you Wednesday. Bye, Blaine, thank you for supper, guys, it was great," August said.

Cooper hugged his brother close to his chest, planted a kiss on his forehead and said goodbye. "I love you, Blaine."

"I love you, too, Cooper. Hurry back," he said, letting go of his brother's neck. He looked sad and Kurt took his hand to calm him.

"Bye for now, Kurt. It was great meeting you, I hope we'll be friends for a long time. Take care of my brother, okay?" Cooper asked.

"I will, Cooper. I promise," Kurt returned.

Later that night, after they bathed and got everything ready, they climbed into bed. Kurt was tired, but wanted to ask Blaine something. He was nervous, but it was important.

"Blaine?"

"Yeah, Kurt?"

"What's going on with getting word to my dad? It's been about six weeks now and I'm really worried. He must be going through hell not knowing what happened to me. Can't we do anything else? Maybe August can help?"

"I guess it's worth a try. I'll ask him for you on Wednesday, okay?" Blaine offered. It was very dark and Kurt couldn't see the panic on Blaine's face.

"Thank you, Blaine, You're a good friend, I'm so lucky to have you," Kurt sighed.

Tears came to Blaine's eyes, the guilt eating at him. He turned away, not convinced he could keep up the lies he had told Kurt. He felt terrible about it, but didn't know what else to do. He thought about the paper in his pocket that the guy in the camp office had handed to him. Kurt's dad wiring back, wanting to know how he could come get his son. Blaine had wired him that Kurt was okay, but didn't give much information, just a place to wire back. He wasn't so cold hearted that he would leave a man not knowing if his son was dead or alive, but he didn't want Kurt to leave him. He was falling in love with the boy.

A little while later, Kurt scooted closer. He wanted to kiss Blaine so badly, but was far too shy to do it. He wished Blaine would kiss him, but he didn't know how to ask. He settled for wrapping his arms around Blaine and snuggling his nose into Blaine's neck when his friend turned over to go to sleep. Taking Kurt's cheek in his hand, he closed his hazel eyes and put his soft lips on Kurt's and gave him a tender kiss.

"I'm lucky to have you, too, Kurt," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear, making shivers run down his arms. As Blaine kissed him one more long, sweet kiss, they hugged like koala bears and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6 - Lenore

Blaine was looking out the back door of the cabin to see if Kurt was on his way back from the goat shed.

"I'm coming...Hugo knocked over the watering trough and I had to tip it back and fill it again. But here's Betsy and Bossy's contribution, and a hat full of eggs." Kurt smiled.

"Shannon and Cookie sent over a loaf of bread while you were out in the goat shed," Blaine added. "I made French toast, do you want syrup or blackberry jam?"

"The jam sounds great. Thanks, Blaine," Kurt said, sitting down at the table and pouring two glasses of milk. "Wait – are you going to tell me you boiled down the sap from maple trees to make the syrup yourself?"

"Kurt, the entire time you've been here, have you seen one single maple tree? This is a pine forest, Kurt. No maple. I made it from the mulberries. You sure are silly," Blaine laughed. Kurt just shook his head.

They ate in silence, exchanging smiles and just thinking about the day ahead. They had decided to walk the trap lines to see what might have gotten caught in the snares last night. It was early December now, and Kurt was getting more and more unhappy at not being able to contact his father. It was hard not to let tears collect in his eyes as he thought about the days he had spent with his dad, learning about engines or teaching him how to cook. They didn't have many interests in common, but they didn't need them. It was just hanging together and understanding each other that counted. Kurt had been so nervous about coming out to his dad, but when it happened, his dad was the best dad anyone ever had.

Kurt had been devastated when he lost his mother at the age of eight, but Burt had done his very best to make up for the loss. He was uncomfortable with the idea of gay men, but he realized something most fathers in Kurt's experience didn't realize – that it was his job in life to love Kurt and everything about him. Burt saw that as his guiding light and he never wavered from it. Kurt found tears slowly rolling down his cheeks as he thought about his dad and all the love he gave him. He liked being in Oregon, it was fun and challenging, and he thought he was falling for the bright eyed, curly headed boy across the table from him. But deep in his heart, he really wanted his dad.

"Has there been any word about my dad yet?" Kurt asked when he had his voice under control again.

"I'd tell you if I'd heard anything, Kurt. I'm sorry," Blaine said, looking down, afraid to meet Kurt's eyes as he hid the lie. "Let's get dressed to go walk the trap lines, I'm craving rabbit. What about you?"

"Sounds good, Blaine." Kurt got up from the table and put on two pairs of woolen socks. He had thermal underwear and flannel-lined jeans, all courtesy of Cooper. Blaine loaned him a beautiful forest green flannel shirt because it looked so good with his chestnut hair and blue-gray eyes. Blaine spent a lot of time looking at Kurt when he thought Kurt wasn't aware of it. He was fooling himself, because Kurt was very aware of it. He would stand straighter, walk with a bit more sway to his hips, hold Blaine's gaze for a bit too long. Not enough to be obvious, but enough that he thought Blaine noticed.

Blaine did the same thing, wearing his tight shirt that showed off his muscled arms when he was inside the warm cabin, touching his mouth a lot when Kurt was looking at him. Then there was the almost constant contact that Blaine had been doing since the first day. He held Kurt's hand whenever possible, and he had noticed that Kurt did the same thing, reaching for Blaine's hand a lot of the time. They walked close together, touching if possible.

It was instinct to be a bit farther apart when in a crowd of people, or even walking across the camp because they didn't know who they might run into, and a logging camp was so far from real authority it would be foolish bordering on dangerous to flaunt their sexuality in front of some of these men. But the moment they were beyond the tree line into the forest to walk the trap line, or to walk downstream for their favorite fishing spot, or just being in the cabin or goat shed, they were touching.

Blaine missed his brother and his father. They had all been so close when Blaine was growing up, always touching – a hand thrown across a shoulder, sleeping with legs tangled together. When his dad died and Cooper began to be gone to the outlying timber harvesting camps, Blaine was alone. He might have been with a girlfriend or a boyfriend if he lived in a city, but here it was impossible. He got hugs from Shannon, who instinctively knew how much Blaine craved the close contact, but Blaine was lonely. Finding Kurt that day changed his life. He could bury himself in Kurt's neck, feeling safe and loved – even if he didn't know how Kurt really felt about him. It was mother's milk to him to have somebody to hold his hand and hug him when he was tired and just sitting in front of the fire.

Given how much Blaine needed Kurt now, anyone would understand why he had to tell the lies, wouldn't they? It wasn't really hurting anyone, was it? Kurt was happy here, he'd as much as said so. He was getting closer to Blaine everyday. Blaine kept telling himself this, but he knew in his heart he was wrong. Dead wrong. And now, after almost two months, Kurt deserved to be told the truth.

August had really solved one of Blaine's biggest problems, even if he didn't know it. With a paying job, there would be one more reason for Kurt to stay here. Blaine hadn't known Kurt was a mechanic, and it surprised him when he found out – but that was perfect. He could stay and the company would forget that he had come here in an empty train car. Besides, Mr. Warner owed Blaine. Blaine's dad had saved Lenore Warner from certain death, at the price of his own life. Blaine ground his teeth thinking about that, but he had learned to live with it a long time ago. If any problems arose about Kurt being here, Blaine knew what card to play.

It was snowing. Very light, but flakes were coming down steadily and Blaine knew once they started, they would fall for days if not weeks. He was dressed for the weather, made sure Kurt was, too. They had food and emergency supplies in their backpacks as they started out across the forest path. About five minutes from the cabin, they could see someone walking towards them. Blaine squinted his eyes a bit and saw it was a small person, walking slowly and carrying something in her arms. As they got closer, he realized he knew who it was, but it was too late to turn back, so he stiffened his spine and kept a steady pace until they met.

"Blaine! Just the person I was hoping to see!" the pretty girl smiled. She was maybe a year or two younger than Blaine and had pale blonde hair, done in braids and rolled up on her head in a Scandinavian style. Her pale blue eyes were almost spooky to look at, so pale they hardly counted as blue. She had long eyelashes, though not as thick as Blaine's, Kurt noticed. Lenore had what Kurt would call rose petal skin, not quite as pale as his own, but of a softness and clarity that made it look like the petal of a blush colored rose. She had tiny hands and was very petite all over, but not skinny. Her eyes lit up as she looked up into Blaine's face and put a hand on his arm as if to keep his attention on her.

"Lenore, what are you doing out in the snow? It's going to be so cold in just a few hours, do you want me to walk you up to the camp or back to your father's place?" Blaine asked her in a quiet voice, as if a loud one might shatter this little china doll.

"Blaine Anderson, where are your manners? Who is this delicious boy?" she smiled at Kurt with an innocent look.

"Lenore, this is the new mechanic at the home camp, Kurt Hummel," Blaine waved his hand in Kurt's direction, "Kurt, this is Lenore Warner, daughter of Brayden Warner. He owns Warner Lumber Company."

Kurt put out his hand, good manners being second nature to him, thanks to his parents.

"Miss Warner, it is good to meet you," he said, taking her hand and kissing just a hair's breadth from the skin of the back of her hand.

"Please call me Lenore, and it is good to meet you, too, Kurt Hummel. May I call you Kurt?" she asked.

"Of course."

"I was on my way to see Cookie. One of the men brought me something this morning, but Papa won't let me keep it. He wanted to have it killed, but said if I could get someone to take it, it might live," she said, talking a mile a minute.

"What, Lenore?" Blaine asked, "And why were you bringing it to Cookie?"

"He has a heart as warm as a campfire, and you know it, Blaine. Here..." she took a small bundle out of her coat. The little thing sneezed, shook his tiny head and stuck out his pink tongue to kiss her nose. She giggled and handed the fuzzy bundle to Blaine.

He took it, bringing it up to inspect.

"It's a wolf, one of the lumbermen found it under a downed tree. I think it's not weaned yet, I fed it from a handkerchief dipped in milk, but Papa says it needs something better, richer. You and Shannon are the only ones with goats around here, Blaine." She smiled sweetly.

Blaine just looked at her. He looked at the little pup once again, and then over at Kurt.

Kurt put out his hands and Blaine set the pup in them.

"This is not a wolf. It might be part wolf, considering where they found it, but it is definitely not a full-blooded wolf. See the white ruff around his neck? The ears are too long, and it has a funny shaped head for a wolf. It must be mixed with dog somewhere in it's ancestry. But putting that aside, what are you planning to do with it, Blaine?" Kurt asked. He could already see that Blaine was considering his alternatives.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ahead and take it to Shannon, Lenore, and I will go over when I get back and see what can be done, okay?"

"Sure, Blaine. Thank you," she cooed, up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips, but he moved at the last minute so she actually connected with his cheek. She looked at him very disappointed and put the pup back inside her coat, "Nice to meet you, Kurt," she said softly as she walked past them and down the path to the cookhouse.

"Hmmm..." Kurt said, bumping Blaine's shoulder and grinning at his friend.

"Hey I did not ask for any of that, you know. She flirts with everyone," Blaine said, a bit too defensive.

"Oh, well I could have sworn you said the only female you were in contact with was forty years old and married, so I'm guessing you meant Shannon. I bet poor little Lenore would be so hurt to think you don't even count her as a girl!" Kurt teased.

"Hey, I do, I just forgot her. I don't see her all that often," Blaine blushed.

"Well, since you don't count yourself as gay, either, might I venture to guess there might be a bit of romance in the air sometime soon?" Kurt asked, very innocently.

Blaine growled. Growled! "No, you may not think of Lenore Warner and romance in the same sentence, ever, Kurt. Especially if it concerns me, damn it. I want nothing to do with that girl. I will give her common courtesy, but that is the absolute limit. I don't want her near me," Blaine practically spit it out and then walked faster, leaving Kurt to stand in the pathway, wondering what happened.

Blaine continued to walk fast, following the path, but not stopping to turn onto one of the deer tracks they used to set the snares. Kurt stood in astonishment for a few minutes until something Cooper said came back to him. Oh. Lenore was the girl Blaine's father saved the day he died in the fire. Kurt ran to catch up with Blaine, determined to make it up to him.

He came up on Blaine and saw the tears in his eyes, but didn't remark on it. He started by swinging his arms in the same rhythm as Blaine and finally caught his hand. Holding it gently as he slowed it down. They walked for a while in companionable silence, until they got to the first snare. It had been tripped, so Blaine set it again. At the third snare, there was a large rabbit and Kurt took it off the snare, and put it in the game bag, taking Blaine's hand to walk to the next snare.

"I'm sorry if I said anything I shouldn't have, Blaine," Kurt whispered. He might as well have shouted because the silence in the forest was so profound. Blaine turned to him, and tears came back into his eyes.

"Kurt, you didn't know. I've not been very honest with you. I sometimes pretend my father is coming home. I sometimes believe it. But he never will. He died four years ago, saving Lenore in a fire. He ran back in the building, got her out and a burning beam fell on him. It pinned him to the floor and she got out, but he burned to death. I know it isn't her fault, but I hate her for it. I hate her...and I know it's wrong, but I wish she had died instead," Blaine blurted it all out, then fell into the snowbank, his knees so shaky they wouldn't hold him up anymore. He fell forward into the cold snow, not bothering to stop himself.

Kurt was on his knees, pulling his friend from the snowbank, pulling him onto his lap as he sat in the snow. He put his arms around Blaine, kissing his cheeks, "It's okay, baby, it's okay," and Blaine melted into Kurt, sobbing and clutching at him. Kurt just held him tighter, combing his fingers through Blaine's hair and talking nonsense to him until the sobs turned into hiccups and then to mere trembling. Kurt didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the snow, the wet soaking through his pants, into the thermal underwear and into his boxer briefs, freezing his ass. It was finally so cold, he got up, helping Blaine to his feet, too, and they walked the rest of the way along the trap line, gathering the rabbits and resetting the snares.

They didn't run into anyone else on the way back, and neither boy said a word. At the edge of the forest, they stopped to gut and skin the four rabbits before taking them home. Kurt placed them in a rock lined hollow outside the cabin to freeze where no wild thing could get at them, ready to cook the following day. He led Blaine inside the cabin and sat him on the settee before the fireplace. Water was simmering on the back of the stove and Kurt poured it into the basin, adding enough cool water to make it the right temperature. He stirred up the fire, adding enough logs to make it warm while they washed and got ready for bed. He peeled off Blaine's clothes, hanging them on the backs of chairs to steam dry, wrapping Blaine in a warm quilt.

Kurt took off his own soaking wet clothes, doing the same, hanging them to dry. When the water in the basin was at the right temperature, he took a cloth and began to wash Blaine. He was just sitting there, not resisting at all but not helping either. Kurt wondered if he had ever grieved for his father before – Cooper didn't seem to think so. Well, as bad as this seemed, he thought maybe it might do Blaine some good.

"Blaine, here, sit up. I need to wash under your arms," Kurt said, trying to be gentle but firm – the way his step mother, Carole, would be. He blinked for a second, holding back the tears that threatened whenever he thought of his family.

Blaine complied with everything Kurt asked, moving or adjusting as Kurt washed him, dried his skin and helped him put on the many layers of bedclothes required for this cold weather in a cabin with no heat except a wood stove and fireplace.

He hurried to wash himself, dry and get into the pajamas. It was only six in the evening, but it was dark and getting cold outside. The long walk in the freezing cold sapped their strength, but the emotions sucked them dry. Kurt sat on the side of the bed. He wasn't sure how to approach Blaine. With all he'd said on the way home, he still hadn't reached him at all. Kurt sighed and lay down in the bed, pulling the layers of blankets and quilts up over his shoulders, making sure Blaine was covered, too.

He was on his back, looking up at the patterns on the ceiling caused by the fire. He was drowsy and tired, but worry was keeping him from sleep – worry about his father, worry about Blaine, worry about whether he can do the job August is hiring him for...just everything. He was on edge all of a sudden. It had been fun for a while, learning to tie flies, milk goats, gaze at stars. But it wasn't reality for him. He would have to go home, and above all right now, he missed his dad. He couldn't even cry on Blaine's shoulder because how could he indulge in self pity over a father that was still alive when Blaine would never, could never see his father again. It would not be fair. Kurt closed his eyes against the burn of the tears that were trying to come out. He took a deep breath.

"Kurt?" Blaine sounded like a small boy.

"Yes?"

"Kurt, can you hold me?" Blaine whispered.

"Yes, of course I can, Come here," Kurt coaxed. He held out his arms and Blaine turned into them, his chest against Kurt's chest as he nuzzled under his chin. His fist was holding the flannel on Kurt's pajamas, just like a toddler would hold onto his mother's blouse for comfort, and he was trembling once again.

"Kurt? Thank you. You're the best friend I ever had," he whispered and put his ear over Kurt's heart. It was very calming to hear the steady thud-thud of Kurt's strong heart. "I was so lonely before you came, Kurt, and now I don't ever want you to leave me. I think I'm in love with you," Blaine said so softly that Kurt barely heard it. He turned his head to look into Blaine's eyes for a moment, finding the answer for the question he had no words to ask. He closed his eyes, and kissed Blaine's lips, softly, tenderly, gently. He held Blaine so close, breathing in his scent and rubbing his cheek against Blaine's cheek. Blaine moved close to kiss Kurt again, no words, just gentle, sweet kisses.

The boys lay for a long time on the bed, huddled under blankets until Blaine had cried himself half to sleep. Kurt, half sitting against the headboard, held him close and dropped kisses on his head. It had begun to get uncomfortable quite a while ago, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to let go of the devastated boy. He knew how he had felt about his own dad getting sick, going into a coma a year ago. To have your father die in a tragic fire, that had to be the most awful thing to endure. No wonder Blaine pretended in his mind that his dad was still alive.

Kurt could no longer sit still, his butt just didn't have enough padding for that to be comfortable. He gently pushed Blaine aside, leaving him with a kiss on his cheek as he got up to get them something to eat. There was a little stew left in the pot at the back of the stove, so he ladled it into two bowls, add a few chunks of bread, and set it on the table. He poured two glasses of milk, silently thinking how much he would give for one can of Coke, and led Blaine to the table to sit. They ate the stew and bread, drank the milk, and Blaine laid his head down on his crossed arms on the table, closing his eyes.

Kurt did the clean-up, put the dishes away and got the bed ready again, cranking the rope tight and smoothing out the sheets, blankets, and quilts. He turned down the edge of the freshly straightened bedclothes and went to help Blaine get up from the chair where he'd fallen asleep, slumped over the table.

"Blaine, let's go back to bed, okay?" Kurt said softly, running his fingers across his cheek to wake him up. "Blaine, come on now, it's late and you're cold. Let me help you."

Blaine looked up at Kurt, his eyes so swollen from crying he could hardly open them. He was just undone with emotion, so tired.

"Okay, Kurt."

Kurt tried to help him up, but Blaine's legs were wobbly with sleep and he seemed to be falling back asleep as he sat there, so Kurt finally just picked him up and carried him to bed. He slid him under the blankets, in between the sheets he had heated with the bed-warmer. Blaine smiled at the heat as it seeped into his skin, making his bones ache less. Kurt followed, scooting closer and gathering Blaine into his arms.

"Hey, are you feeling any better?" Kurt asked. He was seriously worried about Blaine's apparent breakdown. He didn't have any life experience in dealing with such raw emotions...except in himself, and that didn't really count. He hadn't been able to fix himself, so there was little hope he could be of any help to Blaine.

"No, I don't think so. I've really messed up, and I don't know how to make it better...I'm selfish and awful and I lied to you. I don't think there are enough words in the English language to describe how sorry I am, Kurt, Blaine began to sob again, but there were just no more tears to cry.

"Now, it can't be as bad as that, Blaine. It just can't. I understand what it's like to lose a parent. My mom died when I was eight, and I was heartbroken. You never stop loving them, you never stop missing them, you just learn to live without them. It takes time, Blaine, but you will one day. I promise, you will find one day that you can live with the pain and not let it rule your life. And you still have Cooper...you have Cookie and Shannon, and you have me," Kurt tried smiling at his friend. Blaine gave him a tiny smile back, then closed his eyes.

Kurt knew he wasn't asleep, he was hiding. Kurt knew because he'd done it himself. But he allowed it because he knew sometimes he had _needed_ to do it himself. He was thinking about the afternoon, so many things had happened, and he was so confused and worried about Blaine. Wait a minute...he remembered something Blaine had said to him...Blaine said he thought he was in love with Kurt. Why hadn't that registered in Kurt's brain when he said it? Kurt had been thinking the same thing, wondering why he watched Blaine all the time, hung on his every word, followed him around the camp, let Blaine teach him things he had never thought interesting like tying flies and milking goats. Maybe he was a little in love with Blaine, too.

Oh, no. Blaine had poured his heart out to Kurt and Kurt had not acknowledged him in any way. That was, in Kurt's book, just about unforgivable. He hung his head in shame for a moment, trying to think of how to fix this.

"Blaine, I think we need to talk," Kurt said, cuddling the boy closer to his chest, kissing his temple before going on.

"Okay, Kurt," Blaine answered.

"Something you said to me earlier...I'm not sure I heard you correctly. I want to make sure because it is important. Did you tell me you are falling for me?" Kurt held his breath.

Blaine looked at him, scared to answer. He didn't want Kurt to hate him, he didn't want him to leave. What if this upset him and he left? Blaine gathered his courage and turned to face Kurt.

"Yes, I did say that. I wasn't exactly telling the truth, though. I don't just think I'm falling for you. Kurt, I am in love with you."

Kurt sucked in a ragged breath, not sure what to say, how to express how he was feeling. But he did know one thing: if Blaine could be brave enough to let his emotions out, so could Kurt.

"I'm...ah...oh, I don't know how to do this, I've never said it to anyone before, hell, I've never felt it before. Blaine? I'm in love with you, too."

They lay in bed, where they had backed to a foot apart, just looking at each other. Both scared, not sure what the next step is after admitting their mutual love; neither one knew what to do. Blaine closed his eyes and reached his hand over to Kurt, just touching the fingertips of his left hand.

"I'm glad, Kurt," he whispered before he leaned closer and kissed his lips with a sweet, soft kiss.

Kurt began to tremble. He had experienced crushes on some boys in the past, a few schoolyard crushes, some on TV celebrities or other unreachable men, even a coffee date with a man older than himself that he'd met at a bookstore (that ended as soon as the guy found out Kurt was sixteen). He had dreamed about this happening, but had never experienced it. His dad had gotten him pamphlets at the health clinic and they had discussed it – to their mutual embarrassment – but in all of that, Kurt had never really believed that he would ever actually fall in love. He had stopped expecting it. He had stopped looking for it. And now he had found it 2500 miles away from home.

Blaine was relieved in a way. He had hoped for so long that he might find the right person. He thought it might be easier for him than most people because he liked both boys and girls – or so he would like to believe. It just made sense to him when a lumberjack from one of the other camps explained his own philosophy that he would fall in love with a person, not a gender. That sounded perfect. And since Blaine really had no chance to interact with many girls in his life, he had no way of knowing which he preferred. The only girl his age he knew was Lenore, and he had no intention of being anywhere near her.

Kurt was lying on the bed, Blaine draped on top of him now, the kissing getting hotter and Kurt's blood pressure rising as Blaine's fingers stroked along Kurt's neck, unbuttoning his flannel pajama shirt and touching the warm skin it revealed. There had really never been an opportunity in Ohio for him to practice kissing, but this felt like it was right. So very right. Kurt's world was suddenly narrowed to just Blaine, everything else shrinking into unimportance. Everything was centered, concentrated on Blaine.

"Ah..." Kurt moaned a little, then jumped as he realized that it was him making that sound, unbidden and unplanned. Blaine's eyes widened and he redoubled his efforts just to hear that sound again.

Moving from Kurt's swollen lips, Blaine's mouth followed the pale, strong neck tendons down to the toned chest to kiss along the exposed collarbone. He could taste the slight bit of salt on Kurt's skin left after the hasty clean-up at the basin that evening. Looking up, he could just see Kurt's face, looking open and a teensy bit shocked. He went back to kiss Kurt's mouth again.

This time, Kurt was ready, kissing deeper, holding Blaine's head still as he pushed his tongue into his mouth. They did not have minty toothpaste in the backwoods of Oregon, and although they rinsed their mouths out after eating, Blaine tasted more like venison stew and less like his grandmother's peppermint candies. It was so much sexier, so earthy and hot, Kurt couldn't get enough of it and kept his mouth there until he was good and ready to take it away. Blaine didn't object a bit, kissing back with equal fervor and placing his hands behind Kurt's body he rolled them so Kurt was on top. He needed Kurt to take control because he could feel the tendrils of something, maybe arousal, or want, or need...trailing up the insides of his thighs and he didn't know what to do with that. He'd managed to tug Kurt directly on top of him and he could feel his erection as it rubbed through all the layers of flannel and thermal underwear. Blaine wondered if Kurt was aware of it yet, as concentrated as he was on the kissing, maybe he hadn't noticed he was rutting into Blaine's body – and Blaine wasn't going to tell him because he didn't want it to stop.

It was a good thing Blaine was not a betting man, because he would have lost that wager. Kurt was fully aware of where his body was and what he was rubbing against. Blaine wasn't complaining, so Kurt thought maybe he was enjoying it, and in any case Blaine would have had to stop him if he didn't want the attention because Kurt was finally getting what he had dreamed about in this bed for almost two months. This had been in his dreams and he didn't act on it, not knowing how Blaine felt and not knowing how to ask.

Blaine was finishing what he started: getting rid of Kurt's shirts. He'd managed to unbutton the flannel and was now working the hem of the thermals up. He stopped kissing long enough to pull back and yank the two shirts over Kurt's head, earning a gasp in return. He started to unbutton his own, but Kurt slapped his hands away and did it himself. The flannel had hardly left his body before Kurt was sucking his nipple into his warm mouth, just teasing gently with his tongue to get a feel for it. What he did not expect was how sensitive Blaine was, and the boy yelped and sighed, pushing his chest closer to Kurt as he ran his fingers through Kurt's hair and brought his face closer. Kurt took the hint and licked harder, finally taking the little nub into his mouth to suck on it, rubbing his tongue harder and Blaine whined and held Kurt in his arms. Kurt moved to the left one, Blaine gasping as he just touched it with his tongue. He moved his warm lips over it several times before scraping his teeth, ever so gently, over it. Blaine whined again, louder, and pulled back. Even in the dark, Kurt could see how hard just that little bit of stimulation made Blaine.

There should have been permissions asked and granted this evening, but the two didn't seem to need them or want them. It was like anything, everything they shared was fine, as though they had been lovers for years – and, indeed in certain ways it seemed that way in the minds of Kurt and Blaine. It was like they had always known each other and were part of a couple that had been together through thick and thin. Blaine pulled Kurt's pajamas and thermal underwear from his body, and Kurt did the same for him. They hesitated for an instant, so close the heat from their bodies was reflected and absorbed and shared and became one, and with the icy cold air outside the blankets, they snapped together in their warm nest like two magnets finding each other in the dark night.

Kurt took a deep cleansing breath and stopped, wanting to say something to Blaine. He held up a hand, just in the moment before they were to come together, bare skin touching for the first time.

Blaine understood and waited, just reaching out his fingers to touch the fingertips of Kurt's hand because he had to be touching him somewhere.

"Blaine, I just need to tell you something before we go any further...my dad had the talk with me, you know..." he blushed and Blaine put his hand up to cup Kurt's cheek in support. He knew about the birds and the bees, but it seemed important to Kurt, so he stayed quiet. It wasn't what he had anticipated Kurt would say to him. "It was embarrassing, as you can imagine, but he said something to me, and I need to tell you," Kurt said, very serious. He leaned forward and kissed Blaine very tenderly.

"He told me that I should never throw myself around because I matter. I didn't really understand it when he said it to me, but I have thought about it ever since. Blaine, I want you to know that he was right. I do matter, but also **you** matter. **You** matter to **me**, and I hope with all my heart that you matter to yourself. You deserve that. And I want you to know that this...this love we have? It **matters**." Kurt closed his eyes, praying that Blaine understood.

"Oh, Kurt." Blaine threw himself at Kurt, who hardly had enough time to bring up his arms to catch him. Those words did mean something to Blaine, they meant a lot. He was dizzy and needy and just a little bit lost until Kurt said that, and now he felt more grounded and hopeful. It was a headrush like nothing he'd felt before, almost more than the heat from kissing, just to know Kurt cared about him.

They kissed and cuddled and rubbed their bare skin against each other, stopping every so often to just look at each other in the firelight. Eventually they slowed down, Blaine on his back as Kurt drew his hands down his chest, tracing patterns on the muscles he could feel. Blaine had lost his ability to breathe normally quite a while ago, and the slow fingers were making his lungs work harder as he quivered, trying so hard to hold still.

Kurt followed the fingers with his lips, dusting them gently over the places his fingers had been.

"Kurt?" Blaine whispered.

"Yeah..."

"I want something, but I am afraid to ask," he said.

"Blaine, you can ask anything. What is it?" Kurt inquired, a little scared about what it could be.

"I want to touch you, but more than what we're doing now. But I think you might consider it too much too fast."

"All you can do is ask, I'm willing to listen."

"Nevermind. Forget I said anything." Blaine started to turn over the other way. "We better get some sleep."

"Blaine. If you trust me enough to let me live here with you, to tell me so many things about how you feel and what you think...and we have been sharing a lot tonight. I hope you trust me enough to ask me something," Kurt whispered, stroking Blaine's jaw and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Blaine buried his head in the pillow and Kurt rubbed his back. No amount of coaxing would convince Blaine to come back out. Kurt finally gave up, lying back and just gathering Blaine's back up close to his chest and kissing the tender skin on the nape of his neck.

"Blaine, are you listening to me?" Kurt asked.

"Yes."

"I think maybe we went too far tonight. I know we didn't even really do anything, just kissing and touching, and there was nothing wrong with what we did. I like your body, I love the way your skin feels like velvet stretched over steel...I can feel the way the bones move and the muscles stretch, I can feel how strong you are – but at the same time how soft your touch is on me. I almost feel drunk there is so much adrenaline rushing through me.

"I also know how hard you are," he reached very carefully and took Blaine's erection in his hand, softly holding but not squeezing or stroking, just cradling it in his hand.

"It is a wonder to me that we can do this. I never thought it would happen for me – that I could love someone and they would love me back. Blaine, I think it was just too much for one day. I want more with you. But I think we can move slowly and we'll get there. Please don't think I'm rejecting you, god no, I'm just worried about you, about me. I don't want to damage something that might be a little fragile now because it is so new, something that can grow into more. Into something we both want and need and feel. So, let's go to sleep and we can think and talk tomorrow. Does that sound okay to you?"

Kurt expected Blaine to turn over and talk to him, but he remained frozen in place, just breathing. Kurt wasn't sure what to do, so he continued to be still, still holding Blaine against him with one arm across his chest and the other holding his erection very gently. They stayed that way for a long, long time, until all the blood returned to their heads, until both were limp and soft again. Blaine had regulated his breathing so it was even with Kurt's and they were getting sleepy. It sort of startled Kurt when Blaine spoke.

"You're right, Kurt. I'm sorry. I was in over my head, and I had no idea what to do with all the energy, the drive...and it was making my head hurt and my lungs burn. I was scared, I've never done anything like this. Before, I didn't know if I was gay or straight...that philosophy I spouted about falling in love with a person, not a gender is something I heard from a lumberjack I met and I thought it sounded good. I was trying to appear a bit more sophisticated than I am. Kurt, I have lived in this camp all my life. I've never been to a city, or even a town. I've been as far as the main camp where the Warner's live. When my dad died, Cooper and I stayed with Mr Warner for a while. Then Cooper said he'd take care of me and Mr Warner gave me the cabin.

"I really didn't give much thought to who I might fall in love with, and Lenore, with all her flirting, never made me feel like I could be with someone like that. Then one day the bouncers pulled a body off an empty and there you were, like an angel. I had never seen anyone so beautiful in all my life, and I took you back to the cabin because I wanted you...I wanted you to like me, I wanted you to be my friend. I hadn't given it much thought for a while, but every time you touched me or I kissed your cheek, Kurt, I fell a little more in love. I was scared then, and I am now. But you're right, maybe we can take this slowly and talk to each other, make it right for each other. I want to, if you do," he whispered, still not looking at Kurt.

"Okay, should we put our clothes back on? It might get colder tonight."

"Yeah, I think so. But Kurt, I'm not unhappy about being with you tonight, I loved touching you, your skin. We can do that again?"

Kurt was a bit surprised at the need evident in Blaine's voice.

"Yeah, we can. I liked it, too," Kurt said. "Blaine? I know we agreed to slow down, but what were you going to ask me?"

There was a silence and Blaine got up to retrieve their pajamas. They got them on in more silence, and climbed back into bed, cuddling like koalas, face to face to share the warmth best. Blaine nuzzled his face into Kurt's shoulder, just where it joined his neck. Kurt dropped a kiss on his temple. He seemed to be asleep, his breath even and his arms relaxed around Kurt's shoulders.

Kurt was almost asleep, too, just drifting off when he heard a small voice say, "I was going to ask you if I could suck on your cock."

Kurt jumped and it was a long time before he could relax enough to go to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7 - Telegram Misunderstanding

A new day dawned and found the boys tangled together as they had been every day since Kurt got there. It was Tuesday. August and Cooper were due back in camp tomorrow for Kurt to start working on one of the big machines. Kurt was a little nervous, but also excited. He hadn't really wanted to be a mechanic, but he did it well because he had wanted to please his dad. He was awake before Blaine for once, and wanted to get out of bed and get a start on the morning. There were goats and chickens to take care of, breakfast to cook, and they had planned to tie a few flies this morning. They didn't really need more, but Kurt was anxious to improve his skill and a few extra wouldn't go amiss. He began to daydream for a few minutes about going fishing with his dad, how it would be to go home and show his dad the flies he had tied, to show him that he'd learned to cast a line and set a bobber. He thought his dad might be proud of him.

The daydream only lasted a moment or two as Blaine stretched his arms up and yawned. Kurt turned to see a strip of beautiful tawny skin, Blaine's belly, and for no reason at all, he leaned forward and licked it. Blaine jumped a mile. Kurt laughed.

"Oh, so that's how it's going today?" Blaine laughed and pulled up Kurt's shirts, rolling on top of him and holding him in a tight grip. Blaine's hands were around Kurt's wrists, holding them in place on the bed and he was sitting on Kurt's tummy. Kurt struggled, but Blaine was a boxer and had been in training for a few years, so his arms were iron rods next to Kurt's.

"Let me up!' Kurt squealed, "I have to go milk the goats! Bossy and Betsy are crying, I bet. Hugo is hungry. I have to go..."

Kurt continued to plead, but Blaine was having none of it. He giggled, and with Kurt's wiggling and struggling, Blaine was slipping back. He tried to get a purchase on the bed before he slid off so he dug his toes into the featherbed. With all the shifting and Kurt trying to roll and Blaine trying to remain in control, he slid back even further and found himself directly above Kurt's morning erection, and Kurt could feel him through the layers of flannel and all movement stopped for a split second. They took a collective breath, and their eyes locked together: stormy blue with smoky hazel.

"Kurt..." Blaine managed to breathe out. He closed his eyes and moved just a little, Kurt letting out a yearning whine as he felt the friction. He bucked back, and they were rubbing and moving together in that dance that teenage boys have been doing since time began.

"Blaine...are you...?" Kurt asked, not sure if this was okay or what it meant, though he was getting an idea of what the immediate outcome was about to be.

"Kurt..." Blaine had gone completely monosyllabic by now, his eyes closed and his mouth open, close to panting.

"Blaine...is this how we want the first time to be?" Kurt asked, then thought maybe it was as the heat began to pool in his belly in that familiar way. He wasn't close, but he would be soon.

Blaine opened his eyes, searching Kurt's and slowing to a stop.

"No, Kurt, it isn't. It just felt so good...it was hard to think. I'm sorry," he said, pulling back a little, but keeping his hand on Kurt's side.

"It felt good to me, too, Blaine. Maybe soon, though," Kurt assured him, wondering why he stopped. What would it have hurt, after all? After what his father had said...that it does something to you, he wanted to wait for it to be the right time, and he thought he'd know when the time presented itself. He sighed. But the time had passed and he lay there for just a few more minutes before they both got up to get the morning chores done. He and Blaine got dressed, made the bed, touching every once in a while, stopping to give each other kisses from time to time.

"Kurt, it was...I had no idea. How pitiful are we, we don't know how to act even though we want the same thing, right? But we'll learn together, won't we?" Blaine looked so young, so vulnerable, not like a world-weary boxer he liked to think he portrayed.

"It's a new concept for both of us, and I'm pretty sure we'll figure out the proper way to do things when it comes time. Okay? Worrying about it won't help." They hugged closer, kissing gently, softly, slowly, and Kurt was humming his pleasure, Blaine loving each note when they heard a knock at the cabin door.

"Wait a minute, I'm coming," Blaine called out. Blaine got to the door, looked back at Kurt to make sure he was decent, he was buttoning the last of the buttons on his shirt, and asked through the wooden door: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Punkin', it's Shannon," her voice came through.

"Let me get the door open," Blaine said, lifting the bar so he could open the door. Shannon was standing there, her face looking so tired with dark circles under her eyes and a sleepy look on her face. She held a little ball of fluff in her arms.

"Oh, Lenore's wolf," Blaine said with a tiny bit of disgust. Not for the pup, but for Lenore. Shannon gave him a look, but she knew what Blaine felt for the owner's daughter.

"Oh, so you've met. Yeah, I was trying to feed her, but all I had was cow's milk. My dairy goats haven't been freshened yet and I was thinking - Betsy and Bossy still have milk, right?"

"Yes, they do. How about I take the little guy off your hands for a while and Kurt can go get him some fresh milk?" Blaine suggested. Shannon smiled.

"Would you? I'd be so grateful, punkin'. That little scrap kept me up half the night. He isn't getting enough richness in the cow milk I'm thinking."

"No problem, I'll feed the little guy myself," Kurt offered, enchanted by the pup.

"Thank you, fellas, I need to get back and help Cookie with breakfast. I'll catch up with you later."

Blaine brought the ball of fluff over to sit on the bed next to Kurt, who smiled. The little guy got a mouthful of Kurt's flannel shirt and tugged, getting a grin from the boy.

Kurt got up and was out to the shed to milk the goats in just a few minutes. He brought in the bucket of milk along with a basket of eggs and Blaine mixed a raw egg in a cup of milk. He dipped the corner of a handkerchief into the mix and touched it to the pup's nose. Pup licked it off, finding he liked the taste and did it again. Pretty soon he was nosing into the cup and lapping it up by himself.

"He's older than I thought he was," Blaine said. "He is pretty close to being able to drink by himself, so we might add a bit of cereal to it. I think Cookie has some farina, we could try that to get the stuff to stick to his ribs a little."

The boys fed the pup and ate breakfast, cleaning up together while the pup waddled around the cabin. They sat down on the settee together and the pup fell asleep between them, completely exhausted.

_Meanwhile, back in Ohio..._

"Finn, I'm so restless, I just cannot sit still. I have to do something," Burt grumped. Finn gave him an encouraging smile, but he'd heard this all before. Burt hadn't even slept well ever since the panicked night Kurt didn't come home and they found the blood in the parking lot.

The police had been called in, an Amber Alert went out that next morning, and they had been searching for Kurt ever since. Since Kurt was a minor, his disappearance had been under the Amber Alert ruling and the bulletin had gone out. Bloodhounds had been brought in and the blood was found at the edge of the parking lot at McKinley High School. The dogs had tracked it to a car belonging to one of the football players father's.

The investigation had continued for weeks, resulting in confessions by more than a few students that a group had beat Kurt up because he was gay and the truth had finally been revealed that he was dumped in the railyard. But there was no way to tell which train held him, which way it went, and investigators were still combing through records and interviewing witnesses.

There had been a large amount of blood, maybe enough to declare Kurt dead. The dogs had taken them to the places Kurt's body had been, but it was inconclusive. Most of the witnesses said Kurt was unconscious when they saw him loaded into the car. Nobody had any explanation as to why it was not reported or the boys that beat him were not stopped.

Burt, Carole, Finn and Kurt's friends prayed for a miracle.

It was a matter of days before wires, emails, and phone calls began streaming in. The case had gotten a lot of media attention, and it seemed every nut job from one end of the country to the other jumped on the bandwagon. The police were handling it as well as could be expected, but there were so many, it would take some time. Burt kept faith that a god that brought him back from that heart attack didn't do so just for Burt to lose his son. But he was discouraged. The police had even dared to tell him that, based on the evidence of so much blood and the type of crime it was, not to get his hopes up. Burt tried to ignore that for the lies it must be, but every day made him think about it a minute or so longer before he pushed it out of his brain to concentrate on ways to find Kurt.

He got the wire from the logging camp on a Friday, along with three dozen other similar papers and emails and letters from all over the country that day. He had first found out if there was a rail line to the place on each communication, but that did not weed out very many. He had decided that he would just have to start somewhere at random. He emailed back many of them, asking for details not included in the Amber Alert, and was able to narrow down a few. He and Finn or Carole or...surprisingly, Puck, drove to closer places, always finding it to be a dead end. He was so discouraged.

There was a stack of papers sitting on his desk. The police had let him look at the communications, but he had to return them for evidence. He saw a yellow paper written in a printed communication. He'd seen a few before, but mostly a long time ago. It as a wire...a telegram. Did people even use those anymore, considering how everyone in the civilized world used some type of electronic device: email, cell phones, telephones? Nobody sent telegrams, right? He pulled it out of the pile to study. He had returned a letter to this one, like he had to a couple hundred others, asking for more information. But this one didn't send a second communication:

"Dear Mr Humall:

Your son Kurt is alive and will be fine, though his cashmere-silk blend jacket is ruined. I found him in an empty on the rail when the train stopped to offload supplies in camp. We can't risk coming down the mountain until after spring thaw, but will keep him safe until than. He misses you. Keep faith I will get him home. Blaine Anderson"

Burt looked a this one again, and something about it made him curious, but he wasn't sure what. His name was misspelled, but what did that mean? No, it was something else.

"Finn, come look at this. I just can't put my finger on what's wrong with it," he said. Both Finn and Carole stepped over to look at the paper.

"Your name is spelled wrong," Carole mentioned, but was sure that wasn't it.

"How much was detailed in the Amber Alert about his clothes?" Finn asked.

Burt got the information out and looked it over, Finn leaning over his shoulder.

"Burt, it says he was wearing a light-weight jacket faded from light to dark blue. It never mentions what the jacket is made of, and I know that jacket was cashmere-silk. Kurt paid an awful price for it, because I loaned him the last fifty when he found it on sale," Finn's eyes caught Burt's and there was a sparkle in them. It was the first really important clue they had found.

"Let's call Detective Lopez and get this started," Burt said, letting himself feel a breath of hope for the first time in a month. Maybe those boys that hurt Kurt might not be standing trial for murder after all.

"Finn, thank you. I just don't know how to tell you how much your observation had helped...we might get your brother home by Christmas," Burt said, blinking back tears, Finn's strong arms around his shoulders.

_A few days later at the Logging Camp:_

Blaine got out the flour to make biscuits and Kurt cut up the rabbit for fricassee.

"I remember seeing a cartoon that Elmer Fudd was going to make Bugs Bunny into Rabbit Fricassee. I thought it was a made-up word for the cartoon because it sounded funny to me. I had no idea it was a real dish. How do you make it?" Kurt asked.

"Easy. Cook the rabbit like you'd do chicken...dust it with flour and salt and pepper, fry in oil. Then take it out and fry the carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, anything like that. Put the chicken back in and add herbs...like bay leaf or tarragon. Simmer it all with some broth until it is cooked through. Make a roux of flour and butter. Add the broth a ladle at a time until you have white sauce. Add cream...oh, I'll have to go get some from Shannon, goat's milk doesn't have cream, and pour back over the rabbit and veggies. Easy-peasy," Blaine explained as he cooked. He seemed to love to cook, and he was good at it. Kurt wondered if his father had been a cook, or maybe Cooper? Or perhaps he had just learned from Cookie and Shannon. In any case, Blaine was good.

"I'll go get the cream. I have those two trout from this morning I wanted to give her. Anything else?" Kurt asked.

"No, just be careful. I heard Chase and Porter were back in the vicinity. I know you're working for August, but it pays to be careful, okay?" Blaine warned.

"Of course, I'll stay on the main path and if they come near, I'll sic the wolf on them," Kurt assured his friend, scooping up the tiny pup to take along for company. It licked his nose and Kurt giggled. Blaine sighed...what could possibly be cuter than Kurt giggling with a puppy?

The fricassee was a resounding success. Kurt ate all that was on his plate, mopping up the last of the gravy with his biscuit.

"I'm going to weigh three hundred pounds by the time my dad sees me again if I keep eating your cooking, Blaine," Kurt smirked.

"Not likely. With all the work you're doing from lugging firewood, fishing, walking the trap line, and everything else, you'll keep it off. Now, let's get these dishes done so we can get to bed. August said he was bringing the grapple skidder in tomorrow for you to work on, so you better rest up," Blaine said. But the real reason Blaine wanted to get to bed, other than that the sun set so early in the winter, was to spend time cuddling Kurt. He found he craved it more and more as time went on, and they had taken to doing a little exploring, too. Not as much as the first night...no naked sessions in bed, but just touching through all the layers of pajamas. It was enough for Blaine for now, but he knew he was falling more in love with Kurt all the time.

They walked to the outhouse together through the trees and walked back, looking through the clear sky at the constellations. Kurt had reached out to take Blaine's hand and held it tightly as they strolled back through the woods. The moon lit their way and it was just beautiful because it had snowed a few days before. Not a lot, but enough to coat the paths through the woods in the white carpet. Blaine stopped at a bend in the path, wanting to point out a pretty scene between the trees where they could see down the mountain to the river filled with cut timber.

Kurt stopped and looked where Blaine indicated, smiling. He turned back and Blaine moved close to Kurt's mouth, kissing him softly. Kurt kissed back, his eyes closed and hands going automatically to hold Blaine's head as he pushed harder to bury himself in Blaine's embrace.

"Oh, Kurt, I love you so..." Blaine whispered, not wanting to break the spell of the winter scene.

"I love you, too, Blaine. Let's hurry back..." he said in his best flirty way and jumped away, running up the path to the cabin.

They raced and got to the cabin at the same time, opening the door in such a hurry that a breeze got in to stir the fire and flutter the curtains on the windows. A small piece of paper blew off the top of the cupboard and flew around the room – and Blaine stiffened, trying to reach Kurt before he could pick it up. But Blaine could see he was too late and his wild dance to grab it was useless as Kurt picked it up and saw the handwriting on the page.

Blaine cursed himself for not burning that tiny piece of self-destruction. He had a long time to do it, too, because that little paper was the catalyst for everything that happened in the next eon of the lives of the two boys, the destruction of the Eden they had built together.

Kurt stood as if he'd been shot. He could feel the cold, icy fingers of shock run up his spine and branch out across the nerves of his limbs as he tried to comprehend why he was looking at his father's handwriting, here on this mountain top in Oregon. Three thousand long miles from Ohio, where he knew his father was sitting, working himself into an early grave with worry while Kurt was skipping through a paradise of love and adventure. The guilt was enough to kill him if the shock of finding the paper wasn't. But the kicker of it all, the knife twisted in the wound, was the look on Blaine's face when Kurt turned to ask him where he might have found the paper.

Until he saw the guilt and panic on Blaine's face, Kurt was thinking it was something that had been in a pocket of his ruined jacket, or his tight skinny jeans. He had turned to explain to Blaine why this paper was so strange, that this handwriting on it looked so much like his father's hand...but Blaine's face told the whole story. The lies. The tricks. The betrayal. Kurt closed his eyes for just a moment, not wanting to believe the person he had come to depend on, the person he believed had his best interest at heart, his life in his hands, the boy he was beginning to love with all his heart...was the one who had betrayed him now.

Kurt looked at the paper and read it. It was a form letter, but the names were written by his father in the spaces provided:

_November 9_**, 2012**

**Dear** _Mr Anderson_: **Thank you for your** _wire_. **We have received hundreds of replies to the Amber Alert sent out on October 31st. I hope you understand that we will be getting back to each and every one of these until I find my son. Please send me more information, I need my son to come home. We are heartbroken without him. I can guarantee any expenses will be paid by me. If he is indeed with you, please tell him I love him and will be reunited with him as soon as I can. **

**Bless you, **_Burt Hummel_

Kurt looked at Blaine, his eyebrows raised, but he said nothing.

"Kurt, I can explain. I wired your father the day you asked me to find him. The secretary in the main camp sent it for me. I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't tell you. Your father wrote back, see? We can get you home," Blaine said, so hurried Kurt could hardly understand him.

"Then why are you so nervous? And why didn't you tell me he knew I was alive? You have sat and watched me cry my eyes out night after night with worry for two months, Blaine. Why didn't you tell me you'd been able to contact him? I don't understand," Kurt said, wondering why he was so confused. Obviously, Blaine had contacted his father. What the hell was going on? He studied the page, then he realized the date was at the beginning of November. It was now December 15th.

"Blaine? Why is this dated the 9th of November...more than a month ago? Did you write back? Tell him it was me and how to find me? He would hire a helicopter or something to come get me, he'd never leave me here if he knew I was here..._.BLAINE_? What The _**FUCK**_ is going on?"

Blaine jerked back as if he'd been physically punched, he stood there, his knees shaking, knowing the best thing he ever had in his life was about to be taken from him. Like his dad, this beautiful boy would be stolen away, forever. He didn't want to loose him, but he didn't know what to do. He had to answer him, but his tongue forgot how to move, there was no breath for a voice...

Kurt stared at him for a minute.

"You told him I was here, but you never wrote back, did you?"

Blaine shook his head 'no'.

"But why?" Kurt was very quiet. Blaine could tell he was on the edge of hysteria. He had to be careful now, not startle this exotic treasure or he would lose him forever...

"Kurt..." he breathed and took a step forward, his arms out to hold Kurt one more time. He would take him down the mountain himself, call in favors from Mr Warner and Lenore. They had a helicopter. He'd walk to Ohio and get Kurt's dad if he had to, just give him one more minute to explain.

"NO!" Kurt turned away and kept himself just out of reach. "Tell me."

"Kurt, I was writing to him, so he could come. But it's winter, so it isn't safe to try to go down the mountain. There are no roads here. We're next to the Siskiyou National Forest, in a ROADLESS wild area. You can't just go walking down the damn mountain, Kurt. You'd get killed. We can get word out, though. I'll help you," Blaine started.

"Like you helped me already? Honestly, Blaine? How can I trust a goddam thing you say? Why did you keep this from me? Why?" Kurt was yelling now, hysterical.

"I wanted to tell you, but I knew it would take a long time...he would come get you in the spring, Kurt. When we could get you down safely. But maybe I can ask Mr Warner to help. He owes me. I'll get you home, Kurt...if that's what you want," Blaine ended in a desperate cry. Tears were running down his face, he hated the look on Kurt's face, was so scared of loosing him, knowing it was all his fault.

"If that's what I WANT? How can you ask that? That is all I ever wanted from the first minute. I was stolen from my father, Blaine. You knew that. What do you mean 'If that is what I WANT'?" Kurt shouted.

Blaine slid down and was on his knees now. He head was bowed and he couldn't see for all the tears. He could hardly breathe.

"I thought you might want me..." he whispered.

Kurt stared at him. He stepped over the crying boy and walked to the door, opening it. Without another word, he walked out. His intention was to walk for a while and clear off some of the anxiety and stress, then to work out what to do next. He was stunned and upset, but no longer hysterical. Blaine had, after all, let his father know he was alive, and he didn't have to do that. His dad had hope and it was only a matter of time for him to find Kurt now. But Kurt was angry and feeling betrayed and although his thought process was that he would come back to figure it out with Blaine, things didn't work out that way.

Kurt was walking, almost running down the path to the outhouse now. He wasn't thinking about staying safe, he just wanted a few minutes by himself and so when he was tripped, he just thought he'd stumbled over a tree branch or something. But he was pushed down very roughly and his hands were pulled to the back of him, several twists of rope thrown around him to hold them. A gag was stuffed into his mouth and the last thing he heard as the funny smelling rag was held under his nose was, "You thought you were funny tricking me a few weeks back, didn't you? You don't look like Cooper Anderson...not even a little." And as the swirling darkness came over him, he closed his tear-filled eyes and surrendered to it.


	8. Chapter 8 - To The Rescue

Kurt struggled to turn himself upright. He was scrunched in a small space, not enough clean air. He was gagged and his hands were tied. He had no idea what had happened, but he had a dream of someone shoving a foul smelling cloth over his nose. He looked around and suddenly he realized he could still smell the cloth. Eww. He laid down and stuck his nose in the crack beside the door to get some cleaner air.

Damn. That was..ah, Chase, the half blind bouncer that had been looking for him since he was pulled off the empty back in November. Damn. Blaine had kept him safe, and the first time he had lost his resolve to do what Blaine told him, he had been caught. Now what was going to happen to him?

Back at the cabin, Blaine was sitting on the floor in the draft from the open door. It must be below freezing outside, but Blaine wasn't feeling the cold. He was feeling the guilt of betraying his best friend. Yes, it had been only two months, but he had let himself believe Kurt was the love of his life, and he didn't want it to end. He had to do something to save the situation.

Time marched on and Blaine started to get cold, then realized Kurt had been gone a long time. He wanted to be mature and give the other boy some space, but he was too worried. He had seen Porter earlier that day and knew they were sniffing around, looking for Kurt. Mr Warner had a standing price on the head of anyone caught riding the empties and Chase was scummy enough to try and collect on that, even though August had hired Kurt to work as a mechanic.

He got scared that something might happen to Kurt in his present state of mind, so he got up from his self-indulgent pity party and went out to find Kurt. The plan was just to follow him at a safe distance and keep an eye on him. Lucky for Blaine, the snow was fresh and Kurt's footsteps were clear in spite of the fading evening light. He followed the tracks until they reached the edge of the forest and it was frighteningly clear that there had been a struggle here. Blaine found the ground disturbed, torn bits of a piece of paper...the one with Burt Hummel's writing on it...and a handkerchief wadded and thrown away at the edge of the trees. He sniffed it. Chloroform.

Running through the trees, Blaine was blinded by his fear. There was no way to follow where the tracks went from the scene of the struggle. Whomever had abducted Kurt, presumably Chase and Porter, had made a mess of the snow in every direction. Blaine made it to the camp kitchen in record time, bursting in the door just as his brother and August came in from the dining hall.

"Cooper, Auggie, I need your help...now. I think Chase and Porter have Kurt. I found his tracks in the snow and a cloth saturated with chloroform..." Blaine blurted out in one breath, shaking in agitation and fear.

Lenore walked in, having heard the whole thing.

"Can I help, Blaine?" she asked, but he ignored her and turned to lead the two men to the scene of the struggle. They were wearing heavy coats and winter gear, and being used to walking in the winter weather, they kept up with Blaine, who was running on pure adrenaline. Reaching the place in the path, the three spread out to see if they could discern which way the bouncers went. Walking for a while, the tracks Blaine was following ended at the edge of a stream, covered with ice and he knew they hadn't tried to cross it. He started back when he heard August shout and he took off in that direction.

There, in a small shack back in the woods, August was walking around the structure. Cooper came up just as Blaine got there himself and they looked for a way in. August finally kicked the door in, only to find nobody there. Blaine walked in, the sunlight having stolen the colors and leaving just shades of black and gray behind. A quick inspection found Kurt's scarf in a corner and Blaine was certain he had left it on purpose.

"I'm going back to get some mules from the camp," Cooper said. "They'll be quicker in the forest and it looks like Kurt is alone. How was he dressed, Blaine?"

"He had layers...double thermals, flannel-backed jeans, two pairs of woolen socks, your old hiking boots and your pea coat. He had a pack with him that had some jerky and an apple in it. But he's a city kid, so I don't know how much he knows about surviving a winter night out here."

"If he's been with you the past two months, I think he'll be okay, Squirt. But hopefully we'll find him before the bouncers do," Cooper assured his brother. He left to get the mules while August and Blaine went to find his tracks in the dirty snow behind the shack. It looked like Kurt had been able to wedge the window open enough to get out. Boot prints led away for a ways and then seemed to get lost and head out away from Blaine's cabin.

August and Blaine followed the tracks as best they could, but they knew it was a losing battle between the loss of light and the increasing cold. Cooper caught them up and they mounted the mules to try to follow.

Kurt had been a bit confused, still dizzy from the chloroform, when he began looking for a way out of the shack. He assumed if he didn't get away now, it would be much more difficult. He assumed correctly that Chase had believed the drug would not wear off so soon, which is why he didn't tie Kurt up when he left him in the abandoned shack to go and find Porter so they could transport their hostage to a place where they could collect the bounty.

It wasn't very difficult to pry the window open and scramble out to the snowy ground below. It was getting on towards dark, but Kurt was dressed warmly and he thought he would be fine if he could find his way back to Blaine's cabin.

He stopped to drink at a small stream, a little worried about getting giardia, but he was so thirsty it seemed intestinal bugs were the lesser of two evils. He had some jerky in his pocket, and nibbled on a piece as he walked quickly through the trees. It got colder and colder, and he was worried about being lost because although he thought he had started in the right direction, he really had no way of knowing where the fat little man had dragged him after drugging him. He sat down on a large rock to think.

"Let's see. I need shelter for the night, it gets colder and it might snow again tonight. I need to do something to keep them from following my tracks. I have some food, but not a lot. Oh, I wish Blaine was here. At the very least, he's warm and comfortable and...oh, damn. I miss him." And Kurt dissolved in a shower of tears as he cried his heart out in his loneliness for his dad, his family...and for the boy that stole his heart. But he wasn't going to get caught because of his broken heart, so he got up and started walking again. He eventually found a small cave in the side of the mountain and crawled inside. Wrapped in his coat, hugging his arms around himself, he thought for a moment about what the wisest plan of action might be. He thought about making a fire, but he had little or no experience with that, so he thought the best thing he could do was stay in the cave and try to conserve his body heat.

It was terribly cold, but he thought it wasn't quite so cold as it had been the night before. He sang quietly to himself...song after song to amuse himself and wile away the hours before dawn would give him a tool to get back to the cabin. He finally just fell into a fitful sleep.

"We've been out here for hours, do you want to keep looking or go back home to get a few hours sleep before we take it up again?" Cooper asked, but he already knew the answer. Blaine just turned on his mule to look at his brother, his heartbroken face telling the whole tale. Over the past few hours, Blaine had told the other men about wiring Kurt's dad that he was okay, then getting the reply and not writing a second time. Neither of them admonished him, understanding how Blaine felt and seeing he was already beating himself up over it so severely that anything they said would mean nothing.

Cooper, especially, knew his brother had been lonely. When Kurt showed up out of the blue, Cooper had considered it a godsend. He had never seen Blaine so happy since he was a little kid and Coop would go a long ways to ensure his brother stayed that happy. He was determined to find Kurt and make it right with Brayden Warner. Mr Warner was a hard man, he had to be in this business, and had a reputation of being difficult and selfish. But Cooper had seen the man's face when he came the night of the fire to get Lenore. He had seen the man cry over the death of Sterling Anderson, and he knew that no matter what else, Brayden Warner would make this right if Cooper asked for Blaine's sake. He just had to find Kurt before Nolan Porter and Lucas Chase took it upon themselves to punish the boy that had caused them so much trouble.

Blaine was tired, but he had to find Kurt before the bouncers did. He was trying to stay awake on the back of the mule, but sleep was beginning to take him and he swayed in the saddle. He finally decided to get off and walk, leading the mule for a while.

"C'mon, Maximus, let's go, honey. Step up, boy," he coaxed. The mule was used to sleeping at this time, but he wasn't really tired. He was used to hauling heavy loads for miles at a time, so stepping delicately through the forest with a small person on his back was easy.

"Sing to him, Blaney. He likes it when you sing...ask your brother, he sings to them all the time. Maximus, Claudius, and Caesar all like a tune," August laughed, indicating the three mules. To tell the truth, he liked to hear Blaine sing, too. Sound was muffled in the snow, so he didn't worry too much about the bouncers finding them with the singing.

"Okay...any requests?" Blaine asked and August made a suggestion. Blaine was singing when they rounded a place with a rockfall near a steep and rocky incline before the path dipped and went into a lea. He could see the meadow on the other side and what might be some tracks, so he guided Maximus that way.

"…_.the sadness will leave your face_

_As soon as you've won your fight to get justice done_

_Someday, little girl, you'll wonder what life's about_

_But others have known- few battles are won alone -_

_So, you'll look around to find_

_Someone who's kind_

_Someone who is fearless like you_

_And the pain of it will ease a bit..."_

Kurt was sleeping in the shallow cave near the mountain lea, waiting for morning light to dawn when he thought he heard someone singing. He brushed it away, attributing it to a dream because it sounded like Blaine when he heard it again:

"_One day you will rise and you won't believe your eyes_

_You'll wake up and see a world that is fine and free_

_Though summer seems far away_

_You will find the sun one day..."_

Blaine jerked on the mule's reins as he heard a cry coming from some place nearby. He looked around, not seeing anyone. August and Cooper had stopped, too, and were looking for the source of the noise. Blaine turned toward the rocky outcrop of rocks just in time to see Nolan Porter jump out and grab Kurt from behind, Lucas Chase on the other side. They took Kurt and hit him on the head, dragging him behind the rocks before they had seen the three rescuers coming over the path towards them.

Mules are very strong animals, but not known for being fast. These three made that a fallacy as they were kicked in the ribs hard and they took off after the two bouncers who had a long head start. When Chase and Porter realized they were being chased, they sped up, carrying the limp boy between them, and Porter called back to the men following that if they didn't want Kurt to be injured, they better stop.

August Waverly was raised in the backwoods of Tennessee and growing up, his family hadn't had a lot of money to spend on food, but they ate well. One reason was because Auggie learned at a young age to throw a rock with deadly accuracy to knock a squirrel or other creature from a tree. That isn't a talent you lose over time, it becomes almost instinct, so when he saw what was unfolding, August picked up a fair sized rock, smooth and likely to be more accurate than a rugged one. He heaved it at Porter's head and it hit with a sound like hitting a ripe melon. Porter dropped where he stood, out cold.

"Do you want to stay still now, or would you like me to throw another one?" August asked. Chase set Kurt down with the utmost care and put his hands in the air, trying to see who it was that had thrown the rock that had put his partner out of commission.

Blaine didn't waste a second, but was off the mule and running for Kurt as fast as he could go. He slid the last ten feet on his knees, stopping just before he reached Kurt and had him in his arms, kissing his face before he could think. But Kurt was unresponsive, and the blood from the wound was dripping down the back of his head. Blaine very carefully took out his clean handkerchief and dabbed at it, begging Kurt to wake up.

Cooper had arrived by this time and helped Blaine to splash some water on the hankie to clean the wound so they could assess the damage to Kurt's head. It was not bad and actually, Kurt was beginning to wake up a little by the time Cooper had the blow all cleaned and the bleeding stopped.

"Kurt, honey, wake up. Are you okay?" Blaine pleaded, afraid to move him too much. Kurt groaned and didn't open his eyes. "Kurt...open your eyes for me, baby. Oh, Kurt, please, open up and let me see your beautiful eyes, let me show you how much I love you..." Blaine was distraught and didn't even register the looks given to him by Cooper and August, who looked first at him, then at each other, understanding much more now. Tears were threatening to start in Cooper's eyes as he realized just how much Blaine had been affected by Kurt. There would be some discussion today, but they needed to get Kurt back to the cabin first.

"Lucas, how is Nolan's head?" August asked, moving over to inspect the man he hit.

"He's waking up now. What the hell, August? We were bringing in the boy that was hiding around here, the one we threw off the train. You know he's ours if we catch him riding the empties," Lucas said, pointing his finger at August.

"You got the wrong guy, Lucas. That is Kurt Hummel. I hired him to be home camp mechanic. He fixes the equipment, Lucas. I don't know why you were chasing him," August said, as if he believed every word. Well, he did believe because it was all true. The way he phrased it was a little misleading perhaps, but it was all true.

"Hey, August...I know there's no love lost between us, but damn, that was sneaky. Where did you learn to throw a rock like that?" Nolan said, coming around and rubbing his head. Unlike Kurt, there was no blood on his wound.

"Do you two need help back to the camp?" Cooper asked, not looking at all happy at having to ask, but they would not leave the two bouncers alone in the woods with an injury. "I can leave you one of the mules if Nolan needs to ride," Cooper offered.

"Thanks, but I'm fine and we're not going back to the camp for now. I think we can just walk on to where we were headed," and with that, Chase and Porter left at a swift pace to get as far as possible before Kurt woke up and started talking.

"Kurt, are you okay? Talk to me..." Blaine was still pleading quietly. Kurt had finally started moving a tiny bit and each time he flexed a muscle, Blaine's mind rejoiced.

"Blaine?" Kurt said, opening his eyes a tiny crack and saw his best friend looking back with worried eyebrows and moist eyes. It broke Kurt's heart to see Blaine so worried and upset and...something else. Resigned? He didn't know what it was. He couldn't think of words that might be the right ones now, so he slowly stretched out his arms and put them around Blaine's waist and closed his eyes again.

"I think we can get him on Maximus' back now if you can get up first to hold him, okay Squirt?" Cooper said and unwrapped Kurt's arms from around his brother so Blaine could get back on the mule. He handed Kurt up to him and August helped him find the balance so they could ride back.

"Here, Blaine...you just hold Kurt, I'll lead your mule. That might be safer after all," August smiled, trying to assess the situation accurately.

It was a long way back to the cabin in the dark, in the cold, Blaine holding Kurt with all of his strength so his boyfriend wouldn't slip from the mule's back. Kurt seemed to slip in and out of sleep or what ever was wrong with him. Blaine thought he might need to be taken to the hospital for testing to see if it was from being hit too hard, like a concussion or something, but agreed to wait until morning. The entire way home, Blaine kissed Kurt's face, even his neck, and explained how upset and sad he was with himself for not coming clean about the reasons he didn't answer Burt right away. But Kurt was mostly out of it, the concussion making him groggy and unable to respond.

"Kurt, you have to understand why I did it. I know it was wrong, I know it IS wrong. I will make it up to you, sweetheart, I will. I will get you home to your dad, Kurt. I promise.

When they finally got to Blaine's cabin, the men took Kurt out of Blaine's arms and set him on the bed, still unconscious. He had woken up a few times during the trip, but not completely.

"I'll take it from here, I think he's fine, just needs some sleep. Thank you Cooper, August. We'll get going on the solution in the morning. Goodnight," Blaine said, hardly able to stand on his tired feet.

"Goodnight, Squirt. We'll get this sorted, I promise," Cooper said, gathering his brother into his chest and hugging the stuffing out of him. "It will all be okay."

August patted Blaine's shoulder, lost in thought about how to solve this problem and still a bit worried about the boy. He'd go a long way to help the Anderson brothers.

Blaine got himself ready for bed...for what was left of the night anyway. It must be about one or later. He climbed on the bed with all of Kurt's pajamas in hand.

"Kurt, can you wake up for me?" Blaine asked, holding Kurt close. He pressed his lips to Kurt's neck, no longer able to hold back the tears that had been threatening to fall all evening.

"Blaine?" Kurt blinked.

"Ah, there you are. I just want to get you ready for bed so we can sleep before we figure out what to do in the morning. I promise we'll get this straightened out and get you home to Ohio," Blaine said in a quiet voice, stroking Kurt's forehead near where Porter had hit him with the rock. He didn't say anything, still groggy from his ordeal of the day. Blaine took off his clothes, gently putting the layers of pajamas on and tucking him in bed. Kurt mumbled in his sleep and Blaine kissed his forehead. "Sleep, baby, it will all look better in the morning," Blaine whispered, "I'll make it right, Kurt. I promise."

"Daddy? Do you have a minute?" Lenore asked, seeing her father was still awake despite the early hour.

"Of course, honey, I will always make time for you. What is bothering you at one in the morning?" Brayden Warner asked his only daughter, waving his hand at a comfortable chair as he came around his desk to sit with her. He poured a drink of water from the iced carafe sitting on the table and handed it to her.

"Daddy, do you remember the boy the bouncers found in the empty a few months ago?" she asked.

"I did hear something about it, but I don't think they found him. He must have found a way down the mountain I guess, why do you ask?"

"Did you know August Waverly hired a new mechanic for the home camp?" she asked, not answering his question.

"A young guy, but he knows his way around an engine, I hear. I trust Waverly...is this going somewhere, Lenore?" Brayden asked.

"Yes, Daddy, it is. The boy from the empty is the new mechanic. His name is Kurt and he's living with Blaine Anderson," Lenore informed her father.

"Oh, and why do you feel the need to tell me this?" Brayden asked, knowing his daughter wouldn't have interrupted him just to gossip about the men in the camp. Something was bothering her and he was always ready to fulfill her every whim. He was well aware of Lenore's continuing crush on Blaine Anderson, but also very aware of Blaine's reluctance to interact with his daughter, and he thought he knew the reason why. He sat and listened as she told him all she had learned about the shy young man that had apparently stolen Blaine Anderson's heart.

At the end, she asked her daddy one thing: could he help? Brayden would move heaven and earth for his darling daughter and was so proud she had put aside her tender feelings towards Blaine to try and fix the wrong done to Blaine's friend, Kurt. It moved him so much that his girl could be so selfless.

"Yes, Lenore. I think I can help. Bring me the satellite phone and get to bed. I'll wake you in the morning." He kissed her pale pink cheek and hugged her delicate body to him. "I love you, honey. Sleep well."

Lenore walked down the hall, confident that her daddy would make it all right. She smiled thinking of Blaine and hoped he would be pleased. She loved the boy with the curly black hair and it hurt her that he blamed her for his father's death, but she tried not to let it show. If she could help Kurt find his way home, maybe Blaine would be pleased and talk to her again. They had been friends a long time ago, before Sterling Anderson's death. Lenore did carry guilt about it, he had gone back in the burning shack because of her. She had been hiding there, waiting for a chance to look out and see Blaine. When it caught fire, she had been in the back of the building and Sterling had heard her screams. She didn't remember much else, just the smell of her burnt skin for weeks while she lay in the hospital. She hoped against hope that helping Kurt would make it up just a little bit for Blaine.

Half an hour later, Brayden Warner was making the fourth call of the night.

"Hello?" said a sleepy voice.

"Hello. My name is Brayden Warner. I apologize for calling at this hour, but I am trying to contact Burt Hummel," Brayden said into the phone.

"This is Burt Hummel."

"Mr. Hummel, you don't know me, but I own the Warner Lumber Company in Oregon. I am calling about your son, Kurt."

"What? Why would you be calling from Oregon...tell me, do you know anything about Kurt?" Burt was anxious, holding the phone tight to his ear, practically shouting. Carole was awake and holding him in her arms as she tried to hear what was going on, praying it wasn't Kurt's body they had found.

"Kurt is alive and well and living in one of my lumber camps. It's a long story, and I will tell you the entire thing, but I need to know how soon you can get to the Dayton airport. I've arranged airfare for you to come here to your son," Brayden told him. "You need to check in at the Dayton airport and they will bring you to Coos Bay, then a helicopter ride to our camp. If all goes as planned, you will be with your son by tomorrow."

"Oh...my God. Bless you...yes, I can go right away," Burt said.

"I have two tickets for you, will that be okay?" Brayden asked.

"Yes, yes...thank you..." Burt shouted, and he thanked his lucky stars he'd be seeing Kurt before another night passed.

Knock knock.

"Hold up, I'll be right there. Shannon?" Blaine asked through the door.

"No, son, it's Brayden Warner."

"Mr Warner? Oh, just a moment, I'll just...I'm not dressed," Blaine said, his voice sounding panicked all of a sudden.

"It's okay, just undo the bar. I need to talk to you,"

Blaine lifted the bar to the door and opened it. Mr Warner was standing there and Blaine ushered him inside.

"How is Kurt this morning?" he asked.

"You know Kurt?" Blaine was confused, but looked over at the sleeping boy.

"I have not met him, no, but after a long talk with Lenore last night, then speaking to your brother, August Waverly, and Cookie and Shannon, I do feel as if I know him. How is he?"

"I just woke up, let me go check," Blaine said, walking quickly over to Kurt and laying his hand on the flushed cheek. "Kurt, wake up, baby, how are you?" he whispered.

Kurt opened his eyes. He focused on Blaine for a minute.

"Blaine...I'm okay. Then it wasn't a dream? You came and got me? The last thing I remember is hearing you singing. It was that song from a John Wayne movie..."

"Kurt? How are you?" another voice came. Kurt tried to focus and saw a large man with blond hair and pale skin smiling at him. "We've never met, but my name is Brayden Warner. My daughter, Lenore, speaks very highly of you, son."

"Mr Warner? It's good to meet you, sir, I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, however..." Kurt said, ever the gentleman.

"Well, I'll wait outside while you get ready. Blaine, come over to the cookhouse when you and Mr Hummel are ready. We have a lot to talk about."

"Blaine...what's going on?" was all Kurt could muster for the moment. He was still a little groggy from the events of the day before.

"Oh, Kurt...I don't know what to say. We had that fight about the paper you found, about your dad. You were so angry, you stormed out. When you didn't come back, I went to look for you. Porter and Chase had gotten you. Cooper and Auggie helped me look for you, but by the time we found the shack where they'd hidden you, you were gone. We followed you and there was a fight to get you back. Porter hit you on the head with a rock, then August hit him with another rock...and we finally got you back home." Blaine looked at Kurt to see if any of that registered at all.

"Okay, yeah...I do remember. I was so upset with you, Blaine, I had to get away and be by myself. They held some kind of rag under my nose that smelled ghastly."

"Chloroform."

"Yeah, and I woke up in the shack. I was coming back to you, Blaine. I was upset, but I wasn't going to leave. I was coming back to set us straight. Blaine, I wasn't kidding about loving you. I do. I know we can work this out...if you want to," Kurt ended, a question in his voice.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. Kurt, I have been so scared. I love you and I didn't want to loose you. Now that Mr Warner is here, I can ask for his help. He owes me, or so he has told me. He can help us, okay?" Blaine threw himself into Kurt's arms and Kurt caught him. They kissed and held each other and kissed again, until they could hardly breathe.

"We better get over to the cookhouse. Mr Warner is there, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting. I think we can tell him about how you got here, and you are working for August...everything will be alright, Kurt," Blaine said, kissing him again.

Dressed and washed, Blaine and Kurt joined hands with nervous anticipation and walked slowly over to the cookhouse, letting themselves in the kitchen. Cookie nodded toward the dining room and followed as the boys went through the doors.

Sitting at a table were Brayden Warner, August Waverly, Cooper, Shannon, and Lenore. The girl smiled at Blaine, then Kurt.

"I hope I didn't overstep my bounds, but I did what I thought was right," she said, but Blaine wasn't sure what she had done. He didn't want to ask in front of her father, so he kept silent and smiled back at her.

"Sit down, gentlemen. I think we have a lot to talk over," Brayden said, waving at two chairs on the far side of the table. Kurt sat slowly when Blaine pulled out a chair for him. Blaine sat as close as possible and Kurt reached for his hand.

"Last night my daughter came to me with the most amazing story. It was about a boy that had been bullied in school, kidnapped, left for dead in a train car, and woke up under a bush in this camp. There was another boy, who took him in, took care of him, taught him, and helped him. Add a brother and a kind-hearted foreman that saw the potential in a hard working boy that wanted to pull his own weight, but was now in trouble and missing his family. She told me this boy was in trouble and she asked me to help him. You all know I can't refuse my daughter anything," he said, smiling at Lenore as the rest of them tried to keep their faces neutral.

"So I made a few calls last night. I am happy to know there are people like you in this world, Kurt, and I am proud to meet you. But as nice as this is, I think someone else is just as anxious to speak with you." Brayden smiled warmly at Kurt, who looked at him with grave curiosity. His head snapped around when he heard a door from the other side of the room opened and in stepped a man wearing a baseball hat. The man had on a flannel shirt and was accompanied by a tall boy with a bit of a dazed look in his eyes until he saw Kurt.

Kurt was already halfway across the floor, meeting the man and picking him up to twirl around while making a sound like a cry, scream, whoop all at once. Tears were streaming down every face in the room as Kurt buried his face in his father's chest, calling, "Dad, Dad, Dad..."

He couldn't even breathe he was so surprised and thrilled and happy. Finn was just as happy, lifting the two of them into the air as he added his whoops to the general melee in the room. Lenore was clapping her hands, and all of the men were wiping their eyes at the reunion. Only Shannon thought to look at Blaine.

Blaine was the picture of desolation. He was clapping, too, and valiantly trying to smile, but the heartbroken pain on his face made Shannon gasp. It was the same thing she had seen on his face the day Brayden had told him his father was dead. She got up to move over and hug him, but he stiffened up and whispered, "This is about him now, Shannon. Let it go."

Kurt never wanted to let go of his father. He hugged him and kissed his cheek. There were no words to describe his feelings. He thanked Lenore and Brayden, hugging both of them. Then he turned to find Blaine...but Blaine was gone. Kurt glanced at Shannon and she nodded towards the kitchen, the door still swinging.

"Dad, I'll be back in a minute...I have to go, but I'll be back..." Kurt shouted and ran out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9 - Heartbreak

"Blaine!" Kurt shouted as he left the kitchen, running to catch up with Blaine as he ran for the path into the forest where they set the rabbit snares. There was snow on the ground, but it had been several days since it had fallen, so it was not that dream-like quality that seemed so magical before. Although Kurt wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings except to be careful not to trip, there was a heavy scent of pine in the clear air. He paid it no attention as he sprinted faster, his goal running a hundred yards ahead of him. Blaine was fast, but Kurt had longer legs and was faster. "Blaine!"

Kurt put on a surge of energy and caught up with Blaine, grabbing his arm and twirling him around from the force. Blaine, who had come to an abrupt halt upon being grabbed, looked at Kurt with his eyes huge. "Kurt...let me go. Your dad is here, just go home with him. I have...ah...I have snares to check..." Kurt gasped for a moment, the refusal stinging him. But he was a stubborn boy, and moved his hand down Blaine's arm, never letting go, and held Blaine's hand tightly as he walked beside him until they were swallowed by the trees.

"Kurt, your dad...you should be with him right now. Go back," Blaine forced himself to say, trying to do the right thing no matter how much he wanted Kurt to stay.

"I'll go back in a little while. He's here now, and he won't leave without me. Let's go look for a rabbit and we can make him some rabbit pie tonight," Kurt tried to make it sound light, even though he was a whirlwind inside. Blaine deserved better than Kurt's disjointed babbling and he could feel it coming: he had no idea what to say given the abrupt surprise of having his father appear out of thin air and no time to prepare his emotions.

They walked for a while, hand in hand, and came to the first snare next to the river. There was never anyone here on the path: indeed there were no footprints in the snow as they walked. It was well back up in the woods, so Kurt felt confident he could talk to Blaine now without interruption.

"Hey," he started.

"Hey," Blaine said, his hazel eyes never looking away from Kurt's face, trying to read whatever was there, hoping for...so many things.

"You know, a lot has happened to me since that school dance last October. I would never have made it without you, Blaine, and if I haven't said it enough, I am so grateful for you. But more than that, you became my friend. My best friend. The best friend I've ever had," he said, looking his truth directly into those hazel eyes and down into Blaine's soul. "And more than that, Blaine. I love you."

Blaine didn't say anything for a while. He leaned against a tree, reaching out so he held both of Kurt's hands. Blaine was able to look at him, read his emotions and feel the turmoil inside of the boy he loved. He moved closer, pulling Kurt so they were flush against each others' chests. Kurt had run from the cookhouse so fast, he hadn't bothered to button his coat, so Blaine slid his hands inside and down, grasping Kurt by the waist and laying his head against Kurt's chest to hear his heart beat. He closed his eyes to concentrate. Kurt brought the edges of the coat to protect Blaine from the stinging wind, holding him tighter against his chest and kissing his hair.

Without moving his head from its place against Kurt's chest, Blaine screwed his eyes shut and whispered: "Kurt, you mean so much to me, and I don't know how to say this to you. I know it's selfish...but I love you. I love you more than anything on this Earth, Kurt, and I don't want to lose you. I don't have any idea how I'm going to live without you, but because I do love you so much, I think I need to let you go home to your family.

"You came here against your will," Blaine continued, "and even though I helped you, it was for selfish reasons. First because I was lonely, then because I just loved you so much. I used to get up in the night and study your face because I knew you would have to leave one day. It's like I was saving up all the memories I could of you against the time when you'd be gone. I'm so sorry, Kurt, I should have asked Mr Warner sooner...please forgive me." Blaine whispered the last, looking down, but keeping his ear pressed to Kurt's chest to hear his heart, pounding harder and harder.

Kurt sighed. He felt like he was being torn in two, and there was nothing he could do about it. He hugged Blaine to him, trying with everything in his being to convey how much Blaine meant to him. He wanted to throw the boy down on the snow, lay on top of him and roll and struggle and grind and scratch until he was inside Blaine, not in a sexual manner necessarily, but just so they could melt together and never be apart. As much as Kurt loved his father, and he did love him more than life itself, he didn't simply love Blaine. It was _more_ than that.

He knew it was crazy, he had only known Blaine for less than two months, but he spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about nighttime. Night was the time he could bare his soul to Blaine, they could tell each other anything. It was the time he could see Blaine's beautiful body – since the first night when Blaine shed his clothes, Kurt looked forward to that time. Then he got to cuddle as close as he wanted to, holding Blaine next to him, placing secret kisses when he thought Blaine didn't notice. He was not just in love with Blaine, he craved him. Maybe that wasn't even healthy, but that didn't make it any less true.

"Blaine, I feel the same way," he whispered into the boy's mop of curls as he buried his nose into it, gathering the memories of Blaine's scent. "There is something between us, and I cannot explain it...but you know it, don't you?"

"Yeah, Kurt. So, what are we going to do?" Blaine asked, wiping back a few tears that dared to slide down his cheeks.

They stood, so close together until their legs were cold and stiff. Kurt stepped back, just a small bit and leaned forward, catching Blaine's mouth with his own and began to kiss those luscious lips. He was soft and tender, slowly kissing over and over as Blaine returned the kisses, gentle and sweet. Despite the blood rushing in their veins, the heat blooming in their bodies, they just kissed.

"We need to go back, Kurt. We cannot leave your father waiting any longer, let's go back," Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand once more and leading the way back to the cookhouse.

"No matter what, Blaine...I love you and we'll be together. Okay?" Kurt asked.

"That's what I want, too."

"Where did he go?" Burt asked again, although he knew nobody was going to answer him. He was so confused, Kurt was in his arms where he was meant to be one minute, then running away the next – and nobody was talking, they were just trying not to look at him. Finn was pacing back and forth, had stepped outside twice, but came back. The big man in the apron had brought them food, but Burt wasn't hungry.

Blaine stopped for a moment, thinking this was it, the end of being with Kurt ...he was giving him back to his family. He sighed and turned, but Kurt was there, kissing him once again, a deep, lusty kiss that reached his very center. They each took a deep breath, and walked back into the building.

"So, I know what happened with the train and how Blaine here found you...what have you been doing for two months, Kurt?" Burt asked. Finn was with Cooper and August, taking a tour of the camp and seeing how the timber was harvested.

"Oh, look, Dad!" Kurt crowed, taking a small box down from a shelf of fishing equipment.

"You learned to fish?" Burt smiled.

"Not just that, Mr. Hummel," Blaine stated, but was stopped by an exasperated look from Burt, who had already patiently explained he wanted to be called by his first name. "Sorry, _Burt_. I'll remember..." Blaine blushed.

"Burt, Kurt has not just learned to fish, but see what else..." Blaine took the box and shook out several Royal coachman, wooley worms, caddis flies on different sized hooks. "Kurt tied all of these."

Burt took them in his hand, inspecting them closely, a huge smile spreading across his face. "You did these, Kurt? They're champion! I used to tie some flies with my grandpa when I was a kid, I guess you take after me."

Kurt smiled back, basking in his father's pride in his accomplishment.

"Blaine taught me to do so many things, Dad. I can make a squirrel pie, I can chop wood, track and snare a rabbit, gut a fish...I can milk a goat!" Kurt was so excited, Burt just sat and looked at his son in awe. They had been talking all morning, and the boys had brought Burt back to the cabin to share all the things Kurt had been doing. Cooper saw that his brother would probably need some time to talk to Burt and so had offered to take Finn to one of the outlying projects to leave the boys time with Burt alone. He could see how much his little brother was hurting, and he had no way to help. It was breaking his heart to see what this was doing to Blaine, and he hoped giving him a few days while Coop showed Finn the timber harvest would be something at least.

Kurt sat down to the table with his dad and Blaine served them all the rabbit pie, made from the one he and Kurt had skinned that morning. They had told Burt that they were catching the rabbit when Kurt followed Blaine out of the room earlier, but Burt was nobody's fool. It didn't take that long to skin a rabbit and one usually didn't return home with kiss-swollen lips and a blush on your face from the activity. Still, he accepted the explanation without comment. He wanted to get to know this Blaine a little better.

"Blaine won his fight last week," Kurt noted when they had been eating.

"You got in a fight?" Burt asked, his brow raising. He could see the remnants of a first class shiner on his eye.

"No, Dad, he's a prize fighter. He boxes. I didn't think I'd really like boxing, but Blaine is a champion," Kurt bragged.

"It's just in the camps, sir, I don't do it for the Olympics or anything. My dad and my brother, Cooper, were boxers, and I kind of followed in their footsteps." Blaine shrugged it off, he was never one to brag on himself and was a little embarrassed that Kurt made such a big deal about it.

"Hmmm ...a welterweight?" Burt asked and Blaine nodded. "It takes a steady man to train to be a fighter, that isn't something you pick up on a whim, Blaine. How long have you been doing it?" he asked.

"Pete, my trainer, started me when I was thirteen doing strengthening exercises and endurance. He was my dad's trainer and my brother's." Blaine explained. "I earn enough through a few fights a year to make a living for myself."

The conversation went on, and towards evening the cards came out. Kurt learned that his father knew how to play cribbage and they took turns playing until the sun went down, a penny a point and at the end of the evening Blaine was the big winner.

"I need to go get water and settle the goats for the night," Blaine said, getting his coat on. He left in a hurry, Kurt and his dad still sitting at the table with cards in their hands.

"Okay, son. I can see that Blaine means more to you than just the guy that taught you to tie flies. Tell me what's up and why you took off after him this morning," Burt said.

Kurt sat still for a few minutes. He had no idea how to tell his father. When he left Ohio, Kurt had never even been on a date, much less had a boyfriend. Burt had gotten him some pamphlets and they talked about relationships, but it was more because he felt that Finn needed that kind of information with dating Rachel than it was a concern for any immediate need on behalf of Kurt. Burt was just trying to make it fair. It wasn't as if Burt had never thought about Kurt having those kinds of things happen – boyfriends and relationships – but it was so abstract. Now it was in his face and it happened while Kurt was too far away. His son had basically grown up in the two months he was gone and Burt was grasping at the whole concept of it, but he wasn't there yet.

"It's complicated, Dad, I have no idea where to begin," Kurt said, planting his face in his hands and trying to think of how to explain Blaine to his father. The two were so absorbed in their conversation, neither one noticed a shadow outside the cabin window. Kurt sat that way for a while, thinking and thinking all the things about Blaine were flooding his mind and he began to tremble. There was no way to tell his dad everything – and he was so scared of what Burt was going to say or do, and he hated the thought of leaving the boy he had given his heart to...

"I know, Kurt, but is it that complicated?" Burt asked, using his finger on Kurt's chin to pull him up to look him in the eye, because he might not be ready for all of this, he might not know Blaine or their circumstances...but he knew Kurt. He stood up, gathering his son in his arms and held him while he cried. Kurt let loose the dam that had been holding his emotions and thoughts all day and the tears came rushing out, cascading down his face and drenching Burt's shirt as Kurt let loose. He clung to his dad, telling him about the loneliness he had experienced and how he never realized how it was killing him until he met Blaine and discovered what it was like to have someone care about him. He told Burt how devastated he was, how confused because he wanted with all his heart to go home to his family, but he wanted just as much to stay here with Blaine. He finally stopped, sitting back and wiping his face, still shaking with the relief of getting it all out in the open and knowing his father heard and understood every word.

"Then it isn't really complicated, is it, Kurt? Burt said, looking closely at his son.

"No, Dad, It's the simplest thing in the world: I love him. I love Blaine with all my heart and he loves me just the same."

Burt sighed. He was so happy when he got the call from Brayden Warner last night. He was going to fly to the backwoods of Oregon and bring home his lost son. End of story. But now, he had no idea what to do. Yes, he still wanted to bring Kurt home, but he was not about to break Kurt's heart in the process. He needed to sleep on it, then call Carole. They had a lot to talk about.

"I can see that, Kurt. Now, take me to the cookhouse, Brayden has invited me to stay as long as I like at his house, and I am too old to sleep in a rope bed on a feather tick. We'll sit down in the morning with Blaine and his brother and work this out." Burt got up and pulled on his coat while Kurt got his and walked his father back to the cookhouse. A camp jeep was there and one of the lumberjacks was ready to take Burt to the Warner house at the end of the road. Lenore was still there and offered to go with him. She looked over past Kurt and saw Blaine standing in the shadow of a tree at the edge of the clearing. She smiled at him and nodded her head and he blew her a kiss.

"I won't lie to you, Kurt. I was sitting outside the window listening while you talked to your dad. I don't know what to say, Kurt. My heart is so full right now..." Blaine said. His face showed signs of crying, streaks of salt where he had brushed the tears away; and Kurt knew Blaine had probably been crying just as much as he had. They walked into the cabin and Blaine put the bar on the inside of the door and closed the wooden shutters to the windows, latching them. He wanted no interruptions tonight.

They took off the clothes they had worn all day, Blaine getting the basin out and Kurt pouring first the hot water, then the cool to make it the right temperature. Kurt took the wash cloth and dunked it into the hot water, rubbing on the soap and stepping over to Blaine to begin the ritual they had been practicing for the past months: he began at Blaine's neck, washing the dirt and sweat from the day from his golden skin. He proceeded to wash down Blaine's arms, rinsing and patting dry each piece of skin as he went so his boyfriend didn't get too cold. He worked his way down and after he did Blaine's feet, he took a soft cloth and washed his face and finally had him sit in a chair to hold his head over the basin so Kurt could wash his silky hair.

They poured the water out and got fresh water, this time Blaine washed Kurt in the hot water, ending with washing his chestnut locks and running his fingers through it, kissing Kurt on the face: his forehead, cheeks, lips...

For once, they didn't put on the layers of sleepwear that they usually did. Blaine pulled the bedwarmer out from the blankets where he had set it a few minutes ago to warm the sheets before they slipped in. He held up the blankets and sheet in invitation and Kurt slipped in next to him. At first they just lay still, skin touching from shoulder to knee, and breathed the same air. It was dark in the cabin. In a place where they were used to starlight, it was darker with the windows blocked. They had a tiny shimmer of light from the fire in the fireplace and stove, but it was enough. Kurt could see the shine from Blaine's eyes and it made him feel so warm.

They moved together, not rubbing or thrusting, just gentle, tentative fingers on skin.

Blaine's nipple on the left side brushed against Kurt's and both of them pushed against the other. It was slow and tentative, their eyes seeking and granting permission before the friction started in earnest, slow stroking as Blaine moved to rub against Kurt. It was accompanied by gasps and then kisses, all very soft and gentle for a while. But like kindling catching a spark, they burst into flames as the rubbing got increasingly more vigorous. They were teenagers with the hormones that dominated boys at that age, but they were also curious as cats with discovering another body and what felt good, and what they could share to deepen the meaning of their love.

The blankets worked their way down and the boys pulled them back up, it was cold in the cabin, and Kurt reached over to take Blaine's hardness in his hand and began gently stroking. It was unexpected and the touching and kissing for so many nights without a satisfactory conclusion was on both of their minds. They both wondered if this would be the last opportunity, the last time to show how much they loved each other.

Blaine wondered for a moment if he could concentrate enough to stroke Kurt at the same time he was being stroked, but there was only one way to find that out and he went for it. They kissed, scooting closer so as to be able to reach better, get better leverage perhaps, and when the lack of any lubrication became noticeable, Kurt spit in his hand to ease the roughness. Blaine stopped for a moment and Kurt looked up, but couldn't read Blaine's expression in the dark. Blaine held up a hand to stop him and slid out of the bed. He went to the cupboard in the kitchen, bringing back a little pot.

"Beeswax and lanolin," he said, handing it to Kurt as he got back in bed.

Kurt smelled it and smiled, "Ah, there's a reason to keep sheep, I guess..." and got a small dollop on his fingers.

Blaine laid back and relaxed a tiny bit on the pillows. Kurt used the slick stuff on his fingers and it worked fine. They lay so close, breathing the same air, fumbling because neither one of them had too clear a view on how this all worked. Sliding his fist down Blaine's shaft made Kurt feel even more heated, and noises came out of his mouth unbidden. Blaine was stiff and embarrassed, but with time and Kurt's gentle coaxing he relaxed into the rhythm of it.

It took time, but Kurt was ever patient and kept up the caressing and a small fire was finally lit in Blaine. He wanted this so badly, had dreamed of it on countless nights, but when it came to the realization...he was just so scared. Long before he was close, he was trembling. Then very suddenly Blaine was _there_ – the heat curling, the excitement and the need and the rush, and he came so, _so hard_: not shouting, but with a quiet amazement and gasping breath.

Kurt took his discarded flannel shirt and wiped Blaine's skin clean as he had returned to regular breathing. "Are you okay, baby? Did I do it right?" Kurt asked with trepidation.

"Oh, Kurt...yes...I never dreamed it would feel like _that_. It was never like that when I ..." and the blush that flooded Blaine's face was bright and searing. He ducked his head and turned away.

"Blaine, what's wrong?" Kurt asked, but looking at Blaine's red face he figured it out. "Oh, Blaine, everyone masturbates, it's nothing to be ashamed about, especially with me." And he took Blaine's cheek in his hand and brought his face back, kissing him sweetly at first, then a little deeper. Blaine kissed back. Then without a word, he dipped his head down to Kurt's lap and took his rock hard shaft in his lips, running his tongue across the crown. Kurt jerked his hips forward before he could register what was happening and Blaine pulled back a little. He was determined, though: having dreamed about this, but never having the courage to try it. He took the head into his mouth and the wet warmth was drawing moans out of Kurt's throat. That was the best sort of encouragement and Blaine ventured to go farther. It wasn't the way he'd read about, the books hadn't described how it felt other than some basic ideas, but Blaine could feel all the way down into his belly the excitement of doing this for the first time. They didn't tell him about the scent of Kurt, that almost spicy odor of arousal with maybe a little sweat and a lot of the smell of the soap. The taste wasn't like he had imagined, either. It wasn't awful, but just the tiniest bit bitter and no more salty than Kurt's sweat when his tongue ran along Kurt's neck. The texture was different than he had thought, the muscle so much harder and the skin like the softest silk slipping over that muscle, responding to each twitch or movement of Blaine's tongue.

It was a kind of power Blaine had only ever felt in the boxing ring, knowing that Kurt was at his mercy: that Kurt was there willingly and wanted to participate and wasn't going to leave. He was under Blaine's power. And they were there for the duration, a question whether Blaine could conquer, and the thrill of knowing he was in control. Like boxing, this was almost sparring and it was exhilarating and amazing and Blaine didn't want it to end.

Kurt had never done this either, and the surprise and the excitement was making him lightheaded and dizzy as he got so close to climax, so fast...he called Blaine's name to warn him that it was coming, to let go - but to no avail, so he pushed Blaine back by the shoulder and got the soiled flannel pajama shirt in place before he came, the semen spurting into the fabric as Kurt panted and called Blaine's name again and again – Blaine stroking down Kurt's shaft, caressing his thighs and cupping his balls as Kurt slowed down and let his head drop back onto the pillow. When Kurt was done, Blaine gathered the shirt, bunching up the offending liquid inside the folds and set it gently on the floor beside the bed.

Blaine opened his arms and held Kurt so close, his ear against Kurt's chest as he listened to his heart beating so hard and fast – as it slowed down to a steady beat as their breath returned to normal. Kurt ran his fingers through the soft curls at the nape of his boyfriend's neck until Blaine relaxed.

"Blaine, that was wonderful, magnificent. It was...not what I imagined at all, it was better and deeper somehow, it was all the way to my heart, not just in one place, but all of me." Kurt whispered, not knowing how to contain the things he was feeling.

"I know. I know..." Blaine whispered back, pulling Kurt farther under the blankets to cuddle. "Kurt, I don't know how I'm going to let you go," Blaine whispered so quietly he thought Kurt didn't hear him.

But Kurt did, and tears slid down his cheeks in the dark.

Several hours later, Blaine woke up, immediately sensing that Kurt wasn't in the bed. He reached out for that solid warmth he'd become accustomed to and when it wasn't there, he was wide awake. Was this what nights were going to be like for him now? Waking to a cold bed, yearning for the one person that made him feel good and whole and worthwhile – only to realize there was no way for him to get that person back. How was Kurt supposed to even visit him, train tickets were expensive from Ohio and the Oregon lumber camps were not easy to access, unless you were a Warner and owned things like helicopters. It was so damned hopeless.

It was, of course, the coldest part of the night and Blaine didn't have a stitch on. He looked around, spying Kurt as he sat on the settee in front of the fireplace, wrapped in a quilt and wearing thick woolen socks. Blaine got out of bed, walking through the freezing cabin and standing in front of Kurt, who opened the blanket in invitation and Blaine climbed inside, cuddling into Kurt's side while Kurt re-wrapped the blanket to include them both.

The boys sat, just thinking to themselves and moving as if prearranged to accommodate each other. It was so seamless, this thing they had of almost reading the mind of the other and understanding where or how the other would move. It began just shortly after Kurt came...when they cooked dinner together, when they walked in the woods together, even in sleep in the big rope and feather bed, one would turn and the other adjusted so they didn't lose contact even in deep sleep.

Talking had no place as they cuddled together on the settee and after watching the flames in the fireplace for a while, they got up and got back into bed, close so as to pool their heat. They lay there, not talking, just touching in the gentlest way for more than an hour before Kurt felt the damp pillow case and turned his head to see the tears spilling from Blaine's hazel eyes.

"Oh, Blaine...you're breaking my heart, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to be apart from you, you're a part of me, too, and it's ripping me to pieces. How did life get so hard?"

"I don't know. I have had other things taken from me before, Kurt. I never knew my mother and my father died just a few years ago. You know my life, I haven't held back – and I know I can toughen up and learn to live without you being here. I know it will feel like I can't live without you, but I will be strong until we can be together again. And Kurt? Your place really is with your family. You are still a kid, and living here is a hard life. You need to go home with your dad and your brother, Kurt." Blaine made no plea for him to stay because he didn't think that was fair.

Kurt just lost it. He'd been trying so hard to make the last minutes of his time with Blaine into the best, so they could take those memories and hold them in the days to come. But he lost his resolve, he lost his focus, and he was about to lose a lot more: like his dignity, his hope and the worst thing of all...his Blaine. He was a little surprised he had so many tears, like he might run out or something. It was so unfair of life to do this.

"Blaine..." was all he could say, but that was okay, Blaine understood. They lay together in their warm nest and just existed together. For now, it was all either one needed. They didn't fall back asleep, just lay next to each other, touching while they could.

The new day dawned and thin streams of light came into the cabin through the cracks in the window shutters. Kurt got up and thought about getting dressed, it was cold in the room and clothes would be nice. He glanced over to Blaine, who was sitting naked on the bed looking back. He returned to Blaine's side and together they kissed, holding each other for what might be the last time, and then sat, touching. Kurt traced the muscles in Blaine's body, following the paths and skimming over the planes of his form as though to memorize Blaine's landscape.

Blaine was doing something similar and after using fingertips to map all the places he knew, it was too hard. He nuzzled his face down into Kurt's neck, just tasting the tender skin there with kisses that trailed down to his collarbone, but quickly retreated back to his neck, up to his jawline, behind his ear and back. After a while, they broke apart, realizing they could not delay the inevitable much longer and dreading the knock on the door. They got dressed, Blaine telling Kurt to keep all the clothes he had given him since Cooper had outgrown them.

They cooked a quick breakfast of a few eggs and toast, then opened the door, letting in the bright sunshine and going to the goatshed to milk Betsy and Bossy, feed them and collect eggs before feeding all the animals. Lenore's wolf was at Shannon's, it's little tummy being filled with goat's milk and farina now.

The boys walked to the cookhouse, swinging the pails of milk they took to Shannon. Entering the building, Cookie smiled at them and nodded toward the dining room. Like entering the last mile, they walked slowly, holding hands. Burt was sitting at a table, his hands folded in front of him, a smile on his face.


	10. Chapter 10 - Plans

Burt was sitting, trying to look calm as the boys came through the doors into the dining hall. They were holding hands and walked in step as though they'd been doing it all their lives, which made Burt look at them a little closer. Kurt came up to the table and pulled out a chair for Blaine, who sat down and gazed at him. Kurt sat beside him, and their hands found each other again.

Burt smiled at his son, thinking of the last time he'd faced him across a table, back in Ohio. _That afternoon, Kurt had told his dad that he was going to be singing at a school dance with the New Directions and Burt was a little apprehensive. There had been a lot more bullying lately and he was afraid that something could happen at the dance, getting out so late at night. But Kurt had reassured him that there would be people there, teachers and chaperones, and there really was no danger. Burt had reluctantly agreed when Kurt reminded him that Finn would be there and they could ride home together._

_But that isn't what happened. Finn had left with Rachel instead and Kurt had waited too long to leave, there had been nobody in the parking lot. Burt knew because the police had investigated and from what witnesses said, Kurt had been waiting until some of the bullies left before he risked walking to his car. It was a group of boys and girls from McKinley that had been involved in the beating of his son. The main ones were cooling their heels in jail right now, awaiting a trial because the police thought Kurt was dead._

_When Kurt didn't arrive home that night, Burt began to worry. He tried calling Kurt, but he didn't answer his cell phone (which was found the next day by the detectives in the bushes by the parking lot). Burt had called Finn, who confessed to being with Rachel but raced back to the school, finding Kurt's Navigator – with the windows and lights bashed in, the body dented, the seats and tires slashed, and painted with horrible words. Finn called Burt and then the police. _

_What followed was the worst night in Burt's life. They found the blood in pools on the cement, along with Kurt's scarf. There was an Amber Alert issued because it wasn't known if Kurt had been abducted. All Burt could remember were the flashing lights, the crowds of policemen, the fear coiling in his belly, and the look on Finn's face._

That was the reason he brought Finn with him instead of Carole. The boy had blamed himself. Burt had started by blaming him, but then he realized that Kurt had made the decision, and Finn had finally left with his girlfriend. Burt knew how persuasive Kurt could be – and Finn was beating himself up with guilt enough, he didn't need Burt's anger on top of it. Finn had changed in the weeks after that night. He stopped dating Rachel, he quit the football team and the choir. He curled himself into a ball at night and cried himself to sleep. It was almost as heartbreaking as losing Kurt.

Finn made fliers and spent his weekends distributing them, following leads when they came in, calling people who might have a clue to where Kurt might be.

The night Brayden Warner called to say he had Kurt, Finn was the first person Burt told. He looked at Carole, who could read what was on his mind, and she nodded her agreement – and Burt asked Finn to go with him. The light was finally back in Finn's eyes, he finally looked like he had hope once again.

It was hard, when they first saw Kurt. He'd run to Burt, jumped into his arms...but Burt saw the look in Finn's eyes and his heart broke for the boy. Burt could see that Finn wanted to hug Kurt, to tell him how things had gone, but there wasn't the chance. Finn had hugged them both, but backed away to let Kurt be with his dad. Finn was so broken up he readily agreed to go with Cooper to see the timber projects for a few days to leave Kurt to reunite with Burt. Burt was going to talk to his son about how Finn was feeling.

"Dad, good morning. I hope you slept well?" Kurt said, smiling at his father across the table.

"I slept like a baby," he grinned. "Brayden has a nice house."

"What would you like to do today? We can go fishing if you'd like," Kurt asked.

"Sounds good to me, I haven't been in ages. Have you two had breakfast?" Burt asked.

"We had eggs and toast, sir," Blaine answered.

"Burt. My name is Burt, okay?" the man gave him a look as if to say 'and don't you forget it'.

"Of course, sorry...Burt."

They went back to the cabin, Kurt pointing out some things on the way, like the goats: Hugo, Bossy, and Betsy in their yard. Burt smiled, taking in great lungs full of the pine scented air. He could get used to living in a place like this.

They got the fishing gear together and started out for the place by the river that the boys liked to catch their dinner. After a while they were all content, sitting companionably holding their fishing poles. Burt had brought in two rainbows and Blaine had caught a brookie. Kurt had something on the line and both his dad and his boyfriend were coaching him about how to land it.

"Let him have a bit more line, son!" Burt said in a stage whisper, as though the huge fish could hear him and get away.

"Play him...just pull gently and take up the slack...no, a little smoother, Kurt," Blaine said, jumping up and down on the bank of the river, net ready to scoop the fish out as soon as Kurt got him in closer.

"Don't let this be the one that go away, did I ever tell you..." Burt started, but stopped with a gasp when the huge fish broke water in an attempt to rid himself of the hook in it's mouth. This was one humongous fish.

Kurt's arms got tired and sore, but it seemed to matter so much to Blaine and Burt, he just had to land it. He played out a small bit of line, scared it would break with the way the fish was fighting, and drew it in closer. It seemed like it was taking forever, and before he got it to the shore, his arms were shaking. Blaine stepped up behind Kurt, put his strong arms around him and helped to pull on the pole. Burt took the net from where Blaine had set it down and waited at the edge of the water, leaning over as the fish came nearer as it lost the battle of wills against Kurt.

"Get it, Burt!" Blaine called out, helping Kurt pull for the last time, jerking the line up out of the water with a snap of his powerful wrist. Burt scooped the net under the fish – which did not fit inside the net at all – and got it to the bank of the river, whooping and dancing.

"Look! Look at what my son caught!" he cried happily, running to hug Kurt. He grabbed his son, swinging him around and setting him down only for Blaine to grab Kurt up and do the same thing. Blaine was so excited at the huge fish, he planted his mouth on Kurt's and gave him a deep kiss before he realized Kurt was struggling to get away and he stopped: the sudden realization that Burt was staring at them turned his face bright red.

"That isn't a trout, is it?" Kurt asked, trying to cover his embarrassing kiss by looking at the huge fish. It was a reddish-purple on top with silvery sides. It had a funny shaped topline, a big dip at the head with a long snout, and it was huge.

"No, not exactly. It' a member of the trout family, but isn't called a trout. Burt, I bet you know," Blaine grinned.

"I'd say it was some type of salmon?" Burt guessed. He was from Ohio, and although he fished a lot, he'd never fished a western river.

"Yeppers, it's a Chinook salmon. Good eating! I think we're going to have a feast tonight!" Blaine grinned.

"Wow...let's get the scale, I think it must weigh fifty pounds, at least," Kurt said, sitting down on a log to rest for a few minutes.

Blaine got out the scale and hooked the fish to it by it's gills. He wasn't tall enough to hold it up so the fish wasn't dragging on the ground, so Burt got up on the log beside Kurt and took the scale to hold up.

"Thirty three pounds, Kurt. I think that's a Hummel family record, buddy. Congratulations," he said. "Not only did you bring in the biggest fish I've ever seen caught, but you did it with a Royal Coachman you tied yourself – on twelve pound test line no less. I couldn't be more proud, son."

They gutted the fish and took it back to Shannon to have it prepared for dinner that evening. Both Shannon and Cookie were impressed and the rest of the morning was spent with them all gathered in the cookhouse, swapping fishing stories and lies. Kurt was tired after that, so he and Blaine excused themselves and headed back to the cabin, Burt walking with them.

Blaine made some coffee and Kurt got out some cinnamon rolls he and Blaine had made a few days ago.

"I guess we better get down to having a heart to heart talk now," Burt said, getting serious.

"I can go over to the warehouse and work out for a while," Blaine said, giving Kurt the opportunity to be with his father in privacy.

"Actually, Blaine, I wanted to talk to you, too, if you can stay?" Burt said.

"Okay, this sounds ominous," Blaine said, studying Burt's face for some clue as to what was going on.

"No, but it is serious. I wanted to have this talk with Cooper here, too, but we can get him involved when he gets back with Finn." Burt didn't look happy.

"What does my brother have to do with this, Burt?" Blaine asked, a little surprised.

"I guess I better start at the beginning. The night Kurt was singing at the school dance, he was late home and I called him, no answer. I called Finn, who was supposed to be with you, Kurt, but he was with Rachel instead."

"That was my fault. I told him to go, I was waiting for most of the kids to leave so I would be able to walk to my car alone. He just did it because I was being stubborn, Dad, don't blame him," Kurt sounded desperate.

"I don't, son. But he blamed himself, and that was worse. He's not been the same since, he doesn't date – he broke up with Rachel, he quit the football team and the choir. He has been the one to follow up every lead we had on where you might be," Burt said.

"Oh, my stars, Dad...I'll talk to him. He shouldn't blame himself. I'll make this right," Kurt looked upset.

"Okay, but back to the story. We found your cell phone and scarf, and there was a lot of blood. The police tested it for DNA and it was yours. With all the other evidence, they began to think you had been murdered." Burt said, Blaine gasped and Kurt turned white.

"They have an Amber Alert out on you, and we got some witnesses that told us you'd been hit hard on the head with a broken bottle. The police have three boys in custody now. Azimio Adams, Rick Nelson, and Mason Madison. Kurt, when they told me they thought you were dead, I never believed them. There were witnesses, some who participated in beating you, but came forward and told what they saw. It was enough for the District Attorney to open a case.

I called her this morning. She was so relieved you are okay. But she wants to go forward with the trial, charging them with a hate crime and attempted murder. Rick is still a minor, but Mason and Adams are both eighteen. They'll be charged as adults.

"What DA Lopez needs is Blaine's testimony of how he found you, what your injuries were. It will help the case. Blaine, what this will mean is that we need you in Ohio. I know you and my son are close, you have both said you love each other and don't want to be apart. I spoke to Carole this morning, she and I want Blaine to come live with us until the trial is over.

"I don't want to sugar-coat this whole thing, it won't be easy. You'll have to live in our house and I will have temporary custody of you, Blaine. That's why I have to talk with your brother. Do you want to do this?"

Blaine sat looking at Burt, then turned to Kurt. He didn't need to say anything, Kurt knew what he was asking. Did Kurt want Blaine to move to Ohio for this? Kurt nodded.

"Dad, we need to talk this over. Do you mind if Blaine and I go take a walk?" Kurt asked.

"No, but I think it might be better if I go back to the cookhouse, Brayden Warner offered to let me use his satellite phone and I need to make a few more calls. I'll leave you two to discuss this and then I'll see you at dinner, okay?" Burt offered.

"Okay, Dad. Thanks," Kurt said.

"That's a lot to take in, I know. But you can tell me what you're really thinking, Blaine. I don't even know how I feel about this trial. Sure, I want those guys to pay for what they did to me, and I don't want them where they can do it to somebody else. But …..." Kurt slowed down, realizing he was just blurting out whatever popped into his head. He needed to think about this.

"Kurt, I don't need to think about it. If going to Ohio to be a witness at this trial might help, you know I'll be right there for you. Plus, weren't we just saying we didn't want to be apart? This will give us more time together...oh...unless...?" Blaine stopped talking when something occurred to him. He got up and paced across the wooden floor of the cabin, the heels on his boots making a hollow sound as he went back and forth, thinking and trying to clear the confusion from his mind. What if Kurt didn't want him to come home with him? Would he be embarrassed by Blaine...he was just a backwoods hick and Kurt must have some classy friends. Oh. Tears started burning in the corners of his eyes. He might be okay to be Kurt's boyfriend in Oregon, but that didn't mean that he was acceptable in Kurt's social circle in Lima. Blaine sighed, not sure how to talk this over with Kurt.

Kurt was beginning to worry. Blaine was looking decidedly uncomfortable and his face looked like he was lost. What was going on? Was Kurt asking too much from him? Well, of course. How could Blaine want to uproot his entire life in this place -with the clean air and all the people he loved, everything he was used to. What was it that he had said? Oh, that he could never live in a place where he couldn't catch a trout for his dinner. Kurt tried in vain to blink back tears. He was so angry at himself – how could he be so selfish? Blaine had a life here, how could Kurt ask him to give that up?

He got up, intending to leave the cabin, maybe catch up with his dad and they would see about getting back to Ohio. He walked across the floor, but Blaine was standing between him and the door. Kurt didn't want to back away, he wanted so much to just melt into Blaine's arms...

"Kurt..." Blaine whispered, as he took the boy in his arms and held him tightly against his chest, burying his nose in Kurt's neck and breathing in that intoxicating scent that told him everything would be okay.

"Blaine..." Kurt answered as he pulled his friend closer and let the first of the tears fall.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt. I don't know what to say. I'm so ….I don't know. I don't know how to talk to you right now. It's too hard," Blaine said. He was overwrought with emotion, and not sure what the right things to say might be.

"I think...Blaine, come with me, okay?" Kurt asked. He walked over to the bed and indicated he wanted Blaine to sit on it. Then he went to the door and put the bar across, closed the shutters on all the windows and took off his shoes. He proceeded to remove most of his clothes, leaving him in just the thermal underwear he wore every day in the cold. When he was done, he started to remove Blaine's boots, but Blaine got the idea and took off everything Kurt had. They sat on the bed, looking into each others' eyes for a few moments before Kurt pulled the blankets down and patted the bed and Blaine climbed into the cool sheets, a shiver crossing his back with the cold.

Kurt got under and snuggled right next to Blaine, tugging the boy into his embrace and they lay, Blaine's back to Kurt's chest while they calmed down. When their breathing was in sync and slowed, Kurt spoke.

"Blaine, I think we can talk better this way, don't you?"

"I was feeling so disconnected to you, Kurt, and it was scaring me. I'm sorry. But with you so close, we can share ourselves, can't we? I think we can say what's in our hearts when we're this close."

"Agreed. Blaine, I would like it if you would come to Lima and stay with us. Of course I want those people to pay for what they did, but I hope vengeance isn't my motive here. I want others to see that it isn't okay to hurt people just because they're different. I don't want those guys to get off with a slap on the wrist, just to turn around and do it to another person. Is that okay? I don't know," Kurt said.

"I agree with you, Kurt. I think this is something that needs to be followed to its conclusion. And I will come to Ohio to do whatever I can to see it gets done," Blaine promised.

"I saw something in your face, Blaine. When I asked – you looked like you wanted to say no. Please tell me what that was about. I think we can do the trial without you physically there – there must be a way for you to make a statement and not have to appear in person. Or they can do some sort of Skype?" Kurt asked.

"What's a Skype?"

"Oh...it's a computer connection. Like a phone call, but they can see you on a screen."

"Oh."

"But back to the question...why did you look so reluctant?" Kurt asked again, determined to understand.

"I was worried about what your friends would think of me," Blaine whispered, curling in on himself. "It seemed to me like you were reluctant to have me come to Lima with you and I must have jumped to conclusions."

Kurt moved his arms tighter around Blaine's body, kissing his neck and humming until Blaine relaxed.

"Blaine, you know I care about you. More than that, I love you. How could I ever be ashamed of you? You are the smartest, kindest, sexiest man I have ever known. I can hardly wait to have you on my arm – to show all of my friends that you're mine. Oh, Blaine, don't you see how much I want you to be with me? I was so scared that you wouldn't want to leave this place, that I wasn't worth moving to a city for..." Kurt sniffed back some tears, kissing Blaine's neck again.

Blaine pulled back, shifting his weight and turning over so he faced Kurt. He scooted closer, so they were like koala bears, belly to belly, arms around each other. They didn't need any words any more. Blaine kissed Kurt on his forehead, his temple, and down to his jaw. He nuzzled his face into Kurt's neck and hummed his contentment. This is where he wanted to be, and it didn't matter where they were geographically, as long as they could hold each other like this.

The next hour was filled with tender moments as they stroked and touched each other, whispering little things to bring out a giggle, and to stop now and then to just kiss.

"Kurt? Is it okay if we..." Blaine lost his voice, it was too hard to ask, even though he felt comfortable with Kurt in almost every way, he wasn't used to asking for intimacy. He blushed, wondering if it was too soon to ask again for what he wanted. Kurt put his mouth on Blaine's lips, gently smoothing his own lips across the boy's. It was electric, creating a charge that Kurt felt down into his belly. Blaine was like some sort of addictive drug.

"Tell me, my love. What do you want?" Kurt asked, his warm breath blowing over Blaine's cheek.

"Can I see you, Kurt?" Blaine asked. It had been dark in the cabin at night, whenever they had gotten this close, and Blaine wanted to see Kurt's body. The glimpses he was able to see in the evenings when they washed and changed for bed had only served to tease Blaine. He wanted more. And he wanted it badly.

Kurt placed a kiss on Blaine's cheek and smiled. He sat up, humming to himself as he removed his shirt, then his pajama bottoms and silk briefs. He only had the one pair, so he washed them often, preferring them to the cotton ones Blaine had given him. Three months ago, Kurt would never have been able to remove his socks in front of another boy, much less all of his clothes. But he was comfortable with Blaine in a way that didn't make sense, even to him. Lying naked on top of the covers, he stretched like a cat and blinked up at Blaine.

"Like this?" he asked, his eyelashes fluttering in nervous rhythm to his quickly beating heart.

Blaine got out from under the blankets and sat next to Kurt on the bed. There was sunlight dancing through the window where Kurt hadn't latched the shutter, and it bathed him in the bright light. Blaine had touched every place he was now seeing, but it was still so private, so intimate to just see Kurt. He had wanted to see Kurt's body from the first day, had looked when Kurt bathed unable to stop himself from looking at the beautiful alabaster skin as the muscles moved under it, the power in each muscle showing through when Kurt took off his clothes.

Blaine's eyes sought out Kurt's and their gaze locked. Blaine studied the blues, grays and subtle green of his irises, seeing the silver and gold that were sprinkled like stars in the heavens. He knew that poetic description bordered on sappy, but it was what he thought when he saw Kurt's eyes – it wasn't like he said it out loud, he could think all the sappy things he wanted.

Kurt thought he would feel exposed, vulnerable lying naked on the bed, but he didn't. He watched as Blaine's eyes caressed his body, as soft as his hands had been in the night. It was sensual, as if Blaine was stroking him all over all at once. He could see Blaine tracing the patterns of muscles as they moved under his skin when Kurt shifted position, transfixed and intense when Kurt looked up.

Blaine's entire world had narrowed to include just Kurt, it was like everything else, every one else was blurred and in the background. He could hardly fathom that Kurt was his, belonged to him, had his heart. It was too much for a moment and Blaine had to close his eyes. He tried to control his breathing, but it was hard. He felt Kurt move on the bed, sensed him come closer.

"Blaine, are you okay?" he heard that beautiful voice ask. He sighed, trying to answer, but his voice was just a silent calling of Kurt's name.

"I don't want to lose you, Kurt," was all that came out, his words thick with emotion. Kurt shifted on the feather tick and Blaine found himself in Kurt's lap, his arms around him, holding him so tightly he couldn't take a deep breath.

"I don't want to lose you, either, Blaine. I think...no, I know...we belong together. Don't you feel it?" Kurt asked into his hair.

"Yes," Blaine breathed out. "We'll go to Ohio, we'll be together. We won't let anyone pull us apart."

Kurt sat back, just trailing his fingers down Blaine's cheek. He smiled that subtle little smile and reached for the hem of Blaine's shirt.

"What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander..." he said and pulled the shirt over Blaine's head. Then he helped Blaine remove everything else and they were naked together on the bed, just taking in the sight of each other. They eventually moved together and then slid under the covers, out of the chill of the room. Holding Blaine to his chest, Kurt was just thinking of words...ones like cherish, adore, desire, and treasure. But there wasn't one strong enough or descriptive enough to make what he felt for Blaine tangible.

Without words, they were left with a more tactile way of expressing themselves, and cuddled close together, Blaine's eyes shut as he just felt the warmth of Kurt's skin in all the places where it touched his. Blaine could never get enough of this, and when he relaxed that day in the arms of the boy he loved above all, he was content. The lonely corner of his soul was now filled with love for Kurt and it was all he needed. They fell asleep tangled together under the woolen blankets in the afternoon sun.


	11. Chapter 11 - Leaving Home

"Kurt!"

There was a pounding on the door, waking the two boys from their nap. Kurt startled and Blaine's arms tightened around him.

"Kurt! Are you in there?"

"Yes, hold on, I'll be out in a minute, Finn," Kurt called back, stretching. Blaine took one look at the flesh exposed by that stretch and ran his hand over it, causing Kurt to giggle.

Kurt leaned over to kiss Blaine and started to get up to get dressed, but Blaine pulled him back under the blankets and started peppering his face with tiny kisses. Kurt struggled for a moment, then surrendered and kissed Blaine's mouth with all he had. Blaine squeaked in surprise and kissed back, tugging his boyfriend so they were snuggled together in a warm heap. Kurt kissed Blaine for a few minutes, then slowly pulled back.

"I have to get up, Blaine. It must be close to dinner time, let's walk over to the cook house together. We're eating my salmon tonight!"

Blaine grinned at Kurt's enthusiasm and got out of bed, finding his thermals on the end of the bed and handing Kurt his. They got dressed in their jeans and flannel shirts, pulling on their boots before unbarring the door to catch up with Finn.

"Kurt, I saw your fish, wow! Burt told me you tied the fly yourself. Can you teach me to tie flies? I love fishing," Finn grinned, exuberant and practically jumping in place as Kurt came out of the cabin.

"Blaine is the one you need to hit up for that, he's the one that taught me."

Finn smiled at the dark haired boy that had a death grip on Kurt's hand, and Blaine smiled back. "Sure I will."

They walked back to the cook house, Finn full of all the things he had seen in the logging camps. He was really enthusiastic about how it all worked and what a beautiful place Oregon was. Kurt just smiled – all he had seen of Oregon was this camp and a little of the surrounding woods, but he loved it, too. Finn went on about the different machines and tools and how it fit together, how they still used techniques from a century ago mixed with modern technology. Kurt was beginning to wonder about this whole conversation. He was used to his brother being excited about something new, but this just seemed excessive.

After fifteen minutes of hearing about all the wonders of Oregon and logging, Kurt had had enough.

"Blaine, I was thinking I might walk the rabbit snare line with Finn, show him how we set the snares, if that's okay with you?" Kurt asked. He could tell Blaine was going to volunteer to go with them, but gave him an eye-roll behind Finn's back. Blaine understood and said he needed to brush the goats and muck out their pens.

Walking down the footpath to where Kurt and Blaine usually set snares, Finn stuffed his hands in his pockets and whistled a tune, then sang a few words under his breath, tapping his leg in rhythm,_ "Highway run...into the midnight sun_...hmmm...you stand by me..._I'm forever yours..."._

"..._.faithfully_," Kurt finished with him, a gentle smile on his face. "Gotta love Journey, right?"

Finn smiled back. "Sorry, it was on my mind, sometimes it just spills out, you know?"

"I do know, but I don't think you were thinking about Journey, Finn. You were thinking about Rachel, weren't you?" Kurt asked, not looking at Finn to afford him time to adjust his face so the raw emotion was once more hidden. Kurt didn't want to embarrass his brother, just to support him.

"Well, maybe..." Finn mumbled.

"She hasn't dated anyone else since you broke up, has she?" Kurt asked, but he was pretty sure he knew the answer. He knew Finn more now than he had when he had a crush on him two years ago.

"No," Finn admitted.

"You're still in love with her, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Finn said, blushing.

"Finn, Dad told me you felt responsible for what happened to me. You weren't. I made the decision to stay late, so there is no reason for you to feel guilty at all," Kurt told his bigger brother.

"Burt asked me to bring you home. I went against what he told me to do, therefore I was responsible, Kurt. I let you talk me into going with Rachel and I should have made sure you were safe first. What if they had killed you? It could have happened. I can still see all the blood in the parking lot, Kurt. There was so goddam much blood..." Finn shuddered and he looked at Kurt's face. "I thought I'd lost my brother and I never got to tell you I love you. Because in spite of all the misunderstandings, in spite of all the jealousy and rivalry and anger – I do love you, Kurt."

Finn stumbled a bit, caught himself and held out his hands to Kurt. Kurt stepped into Finn's embrace and slid his arms around Finn's waist, holding him in a tight hug and running his hands up to massage Finn's back in an effort to comfort him.

"Finn, Finn...I'm so sorry you had to endure that. Please know I don't blame you at all. I was a victim of _those boys_, it was their fault, and it was my fault. Instead of standing up for myself, doing things to ensure my own safety, I was hiding. I didn't have much self esteem, and hiding seemed the best thing to do. But I was wrong, and I paid the consequences. I'm sorry you had to, too." Kurt had tears running down his face now, still with his arms around his brother's large frame. Finn held him close and Kurt laid his head on Finn's shoulder, trying not to cry.

"We found you, Kurt. This is all that matters, you know, that we have you back. We can take you home, Kurt. Oh, my God, I missed you," Finn said, once more hugging Kurt close and this time kissing his temple in his exuberance.

They slowly let go and resumed walking the trap line as Kurt showed Finn how to set a snare for rabbits. They were quiet for a while, reaching the end of the snare line and walking through the forest to another deer track to take a longer way home, away from the snares in case rabbits were already running that path.

"Finn, Dad said you quit the football team. That was your _life_, for goodness sake...why did you quit? Just because you thought I was gone?" Kurt asked in a soft voice, not sure he could stand the answer. He walked a little closer and caught Finn's swinging hand in his, as though he had to make contact to make this real.

Finn looked at their hands, surprised, but he didn't pull away.

"I just couldn't do it anymore, Kurt. I was busy putting up fliers, making phone calls and trying to find any way I could to find you...or to find..." he stopped walking and faced Kurt, letting go of his hand, but still could not bring himself to say it.

"My _body_. I get it," Kurt looked away, struggling to compose his face again. "I tried to contact Dad. It isn't easy up here, and I got some wrong information, things got screwed up. I had finally decided to try to walk off the mountain...a lot happened the day before you came. Blaine had sent a message to you, but he didn't tell me. It would have happened eventually, that I would have been able to contact you, but I feel bad it took so long. Did you get the first message?"

"Yeah, but you have to understand, we got hundreds every week. When the Amber Alert went out, and then we did some videos on TV and things...we got so many responses from all over the United States and Canada. Police departments sent us pictures of missing kids, crazies sent us stuff, most were people who thought they might have seen someone who might have looked like you. It all got jumbled together. I was calling the ones I could, investigating the ones that didn't give me enough information. The one we got from...someone in the camp..Blaine? Anyway, there wasn't much information on it, and there was no phone number or email address. I had it in a file to try and contact a police station close by to investigate, but I hadn't gotten to that one yet.

"I would have found you, Kurt. We couldn't live without knowing...without knowing what happened to you. I hope you know that. How much we love you," Finn said.

Before the whole thing happened, Kurt would never believe that Finn would feel like that about him, much less believe he could say it out loud. It broke something inside Kurt: he had no idea he was important to anyone, except maybe his dad. He began to tremble, his breath catching as he tried not to cry as he felt the wall he'd spent so much time maintaining start to crumble. Finn understood...he had spent months trying not to cry. He hadn't known how much he would miss Kurt until he was gone; Kurt had come to mean so much to him in the short time their families had been blended together.

"Kurt, I can see that things have happened to you since you've been here. You're different. Maybe it's that you had to do things to survive? Learn to gut fish and milk goats...nobody at McKinley will ever believe that...but I don't think that's all, is it?" Finn asked.

"No. Finn, what's different is that I met Blaine. I cannot imagine my world without him in it. At first it was just that he helped me. The camp bounty hunters were looking for me because they thought I had hidden aboard the empty railcar, and then Blaine hid me in his cabin. He started to teach me how to survive, but it was more than that, Finn. I fell in love with him and..." Kurt sniffed, so undone by emotion by this time, he couldn't continue.

"You can't live without him. Kurt, I can see it...in just the short time I've been here, I know how it is between you and Blaine. The way you look at each other. I only wish in my deepest heart that Rachel would look at me like that," Finn said, pulling Kurt closer and putting his arm around him, rubbing his neck when Kurt put his face into Finn's shoulder. "You're going to be okay. He can come home with us for the trial and we'll work it out. Burt is so happy to know you're alive, I think he'd agree to anything," Finn grinned. He wiped his face with his hand, "Let's get back now – I want some of that fish you caught!"

Finn pulled away, looking deep into his brother's eyes to make sure he was okay before clapping him on the back and stepping back on the path. Kurt wiped his face on his handkerchief and smiled at Finn, his wonder at Finn showing as he fell in step beside him and they walked along the path.

"You know, Finn, Rachel and I are pretty close friends. Maybe I can talk with her when we get back, get you two back on the right path, okay?" Kurt offered.

"Oh, that would be great. She was pretty fed up with me towards the last. She had offered to help over and over, but I kept pushing her away. I wanted to be the one to find you, I was feeling so guilty and even though Burt said it wasn't true, I think he blamed me. He didn't want to, but he did," Finn related, his shoulders slumping.

"But he brought you, not Carole. Surely that says something, doesn't it?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Finn pondered. He smiled back at Kurt. "Thanks, little brother."

"Hey! I'm two months OLDER than you, Finn Hudson!" Kurt snipped, scooping up a handful of snow and making it into a hasty snowball and throwing it at his larger, younger brother.

"Oh, it's on now!" Finn called, scooping up some of his own. Kurt had been on the receiving end of a snowball fight with Finn before and lit out as fast as he could through the pine woods towards the cook house, laughing all the way. Finn threw the last snowball as they entered the clearing and Blaine got it right in the face. He looked at Finn with a shocked expression and grabbed his own snowball to throw. They all threw snowballs at each other until they were cold and wet and hungry, running into the warm cook house to get something to eat.

"Sit down, dinner's ready," Cookie called, opening the back door to the cook house.

Blaine, Kurt, and Finn walked in, stopping to wash their hands before entering the dining room. They walked into the dining hall, greeting Shannon, Lenore, and Burt, who were sitting at the table. When everyone was seated, Cookie came in with the salmon.

"Oh, that smells wonderful," Burt said, a smile spreading across his face. "My son caught that!" he crowed, although everyone in the room knew that already. Burt was proud of Kurt and it showed.

"I cooked some of those fiddle-head ferns you showed me, Kurt, I thought they'd go well with the salmon," Shannon said, dishing some onto her plate.

They all had large helpings of the fish and all the side dishes: oven roasted potatoes, grilled tomatoes, and the roasted salmon with lemon-caper sauce. They chatted and praised Kurt for the wonderful fish, complemented Cookie, and Finn told them about his helicopter ride to the camp.

After dinner, Kurt, Blaine, Finn, and Burt walked over to the cabin to play a game of Canasta. Lenore asked if she could come along, Blaine smiled at her and nodded. Blaine got busy building up the fire and Burt walked around the cabin. His eyes lit up when he saw a mesh basket with a long handle hung from a hook by the fireplace. He grinned and turned to Blaine.

"Do you have what goes in here?"

Blaine giggled. "Yeppers, there's a jar of it in the cupboard over there," he pointed. Burt nodded. Kurt and Finn asked what went in the basket, but Burt and Blaine just smiled. If Lenore knew, she wasn't talking.

Burt watched his two sons. They had seemed a little distant, almost cold, at breakfast- but something must have happened when Kurt took him to walk the snare line because things were easy between them now. Burt had seen them bumping shoulders and later Kurt had given Finn a significant look that made him laugh. Burt was a little surprised at the obvious connection now forged between the two, they had never really gotten along since before he had married Carole. Burt heaved a contented sigh, he was sure this was good for both of them. Right now Kurt was leaning on Finn's shoulder while Blaine was looking for a deck of cards and a warm feeling passed through Burt.

They played cards for a while, joking and laughing, taking turns to sit out a hand since there were five of them. Lenore knew most of the games they played and she won several games partnered with Burt. When they won the last game, Burt got up and rummaged in the cupboard, finding the jar Blaine told him about. He took down the mesh basket that was on a long metal handle with a wooden grip. He opened the catch on the basket, pouring something in before he latched it back tight and walked over to the fireplace.

"I haven't done this since I was a little kid at my grandparents' place," Burt said with a nostalgic smile. He put the basket over the fire and shook it. Blaine went over to the stove and got out a small cast iron skillet, plopping a few knobs of butter in and setting it on the back of the stove to melt. Kurt started to grin, figuring out what they were about to eat.

By the time the corn started to pop, Finn was grinning, too. They took turns shaking the basket over the fire until they had several big bowls of popcorn, butter drizzled over it and lightly salted. Blaine passed around mugs of hot chocolate and they all sat and spent the rest of the evening together, Kurt and Blaine snuggled together on the settee, the others in chairs and Lenore leaning on Finn's legs as she sat in front of him.

"We better head back to your house, Lenore. I'm getting sleepy and tomorrow is going to be a busy day for all of us," Burt announced. "Blaine, thank you for the popcorn. Get some sleep, boys."

"Good night Burt, Finn, Lenore...this was fun," Blaine said, getting up to walk them to the door. Kurt followed, kissing his dad on his cheek and pulling Finn into a tight hug and patting him on his back.

"This is our last night here," Kurt said. "At least for a while. Do you think I'll ever be able to come back?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't you?" Blaine looked a little panicked.

"No reason..I just don't know what the future holds. I want to find a way to be with you, Blaine," Kurt said, tangling his fingers with Blaine's on his lap. "As much as I've wanted to go home to Lima to be with my family, I have loved being here. This is a paradise, Blaine. Nobody will ever believe that I milked a goat. Or skinned a rabbit, or gutted a fish. It was like I fell asleep and woke up as somebody different."

"You'll fit right back in, Kurt. How could your friends think anything else? I think you'll be so happy to be home you'll forget about me."

"Never in life, baby," Kurt said in a soft voice, kissing Blaine's cheek and snuggling in under his chin. "Never in life..."

They got ready for bed, cranking the tension on the rope bed for the last time. As much as they loved being together and experiencing new things, this night they just simply lay next to each other, drifting closer as the night got colder, laying like two koala bears, belly to belly.

It was just five in the morning when there was a knock on the door. Blaine struggled out of Kurt's grip and padded to the door in his woolen socks, the stocking cap on his head.

"Who is it?"

"Your brother. Open up, Squirt," Cooper's voice came through the door.

Blaine lifted the bar and let his brother in, startling as Cooper grabbed him into a bear hug and swung him around.

"What brought that on?"

"Well, Mr. Warner said he had arranged for you to travel with Kurt. I was a little worried about you going by yourself later, so he arranged for you to go with them. I'm taking you all to the main camp to leave on the helicopter this afternoon. You'll be settled in Ohio by tomorrow."

Blaine sat down heavily.

"I can't believe this is happening. I mean, I've never been anywhere, Coop. I can't take it all in," Blaine said with a bewildered look.

"Aw, you'll be fine. The Hummels will take care of you, kid. You can call me! Mr. Warner said I could use the satellite phone any time I wanted to call you," Cooper coaxed, rubbing Blaine's back.

Blaine threw himself at Cooper, hugging him with all his might.

"I'll miss you, Coop. Oh, this is scary..." Blaine looked scared. But Cooper knew it was important for him to do this. Not just for Kurt's sake, but for his own. He couldn't just live in a logging camp the rest of his life. He needed to see a little bit of the world.

"Now, I have a lot of things to talk over with you..."

Kurt continued to sleep while Cooper brought Blaine a checkbook for his trust fund that Brayden Warner had set up for him, some identification papers, since he'd never had a driver's license, and a number of other things he might need once he got to Lima. Mr. Warner's lawyers had drawn up custody papers for Burt and those would be sent to Kurt's house in the next week. He also talked to him about things to expect. Cooper had lived in Seattle for a while and told Blaine things he needed to know about being in a city. It was all a bit overwhelming, but they talked it out and Blaine was ready to go.

By seven, Kurt was up and dressed. They milked Betsy and Bossy for the last time and took the three goats over to Shannon. She kept goats and chickens and was happy to look after Blaine's until he got back. They met up with Burt and Finn and walked back to the cabin to pack. Blaine said goodbye to his friends in camp and they were ready to go by noon. Even Shannon and Cookie hugged Kurt before he left.

They got to the main camp and the helicopter was waiting.

Lenore was standing apart from the others, a sad look in her eyes. Blaine noticed and walked over to talk to her.

"Hey, Lenore. Are you okay?" he asked softly, taking her hand to comfort her, she looked so upset.

"Yes. Blaine, I know you don't like me. I've always liked you and the day you lost your daddy...it was my fault," she started to say, but he put a finger to her lips to stop her.

"No, it wasn't. You know as well as I do that my dad would have gone in to save anyone. It was his fault, if it was anyone's."

"But Blaine...I was in that shed because I was following you. I had such a crush on you, and I wanted you to notice me, so I had been following you. When you started to turn around on the path, I got scared and ran into the shed. I don't know why it caught fire, but your dad saw me run in there. He was laughing because I was following you. I know because he winked at me. Then when I smelled the smoke, I was too afraid to leave. He came in to get me, and he got me out -but the big beam fell on him. I don't remember much else, I was burned and someone came and carried me away. But I know it was because of me that he died," Lenore confessed.

Blaine stood still a minute. He took Lenore in his arms, "No, honey, it was still not your fault. I know I haven't been nice to you, but I don't _blame_ you. I stay away because you are a reminder of what I lost. But that isn't your fault, so I will try to be more fair when I come back. We can be friends then, okay?" He said, happy to see a bit more of a spark in her eye, then he started to worry that she might not understand he was gay. He took a big breath, ready to explain that to her, but she spoke instead.

"Blaine, I want to tell you something else. I wanted to make it up to you, so when I found out about Kurt being the missing boy from Ohio, I asked my daddy to help him find his way home. I did it because I thought he was your friend and you might like me again if I helped him. But I messed that up, too," she looked down, this was hard to tell the boy she liked so much, but she had to get it out before he left.

"I didn't realize it at the time, I just thought you wanted to help him. By the time I found out the truth, it was too late -Daddy had already called Mr. Hummel. I'm so sorry, Blaine."

"I don't understand – sorry about what? His dad found him, he's going home to be with his family again. Why are you so upset?"

"Because. You're in love with him. And now he's going home, he isn't going to live here with you anymore. I made that happen, I took your daddy away from you, and now I took the boy you love away. I don't know why you are even talking to me..." Lenore said, still holding back the tears that threatened to come spilling out.

"No, no...sweet Lenore. Kurt needed to go home. His dad was so sad without him, I know how hard it is to think your loved one is dead, so I'm really happy you asked your dad to help. You are a wonderful girl, and one day you'll meet and fall in love – with someone that deserves you. I'm sorry it can't be me, but you understand, don't you?"

"Yes. I live in a logging camp, but I'm not stupid. I know what it means to be gay. I may not have understood when I had a crush on you so long ago, but I do now. I'm glad you aren't angry with me," she said.

"No, I'm not. I'm going to miss you. I'll be back one day, and we will be friends, okay? We can write to each other when I'm in Ohio, would that be nice?" Blaine asked, smiling at the little blond girl.

"Yes, thank you. I'm still sorry about your dad, Blaine.."

"I know. But you paid the price, too, didn't you?" Blaine asked. He knew she spent months in the hospital getting skin grafts and surgeries. Lenore pulled up the hem of her dress, showing Blaine the scars on her leg – from ankle to groin there was a twisted, angry red mass of what was once melted flesh. She had suffered through countless surgeries over the years because skin grows and scar tissue doesn't.

Blaine was moved, he knew about the burns, but had never seen the scars.

"It doesn't take away from how pretty you are, honey. Nobody could take that away from you," he said and kissed her cheek.

"Ready to go?" Cooper walked over to his brother, hugging him. "Have a good time, Squirt. Do me proud."

Blaine hugged him goodbye and it was time to go. They got on board the helicopter, snapping in the seat belts and it took off, Blaine scared and hanging on to Kurt. Kurt was holding him tightly and looking over at his dad, who looked concerned. By by the time the copter was on a straight path, Blaine was looking out the window and grinning.

Hours later, after the helicopter ride and two airplane flights, they were landing in Ohio. Getting off the plane, a crowd had gathered to Kurt's utter amazement. There were banners and confetti and so many people, plus cameras and reporters with microphones. It was scary. Blaine was shaking, trying to rationalize it, but he didn't know what to do with all of this. It was mostly the noise...it was earsplitting. He tried to smile, but Burt finally saw what was going on, the rising panic in Blaine's eyes and whispered to Finn, who took Blaine's arm and guided him away from the crowd and over to Carole. She had spoken to Burt, and knew who Blaine was, and took him into her capable hands, whisking him off to get the luggage and on to the waiting Navigator while Kurt answered questions and stood astounded while people cheered him.

They made it home to the brick house on Whitman Street in under two hours. All of them were tired and they stumbled into the house, everyone sitting in the room off the kitchen to catch their breath.

"I sure wasn't expecting that..." Kurt said in a bewildered voice.

"You were missed, Kurt. You have no idea how many people came together to help," Carole said, wiping her nose with a tissue. Kurt put his head down, this was unthinkable, overwhelming that so many people cared.

"Kiddo, why don't you show Blaine where your room is? He might want to rest after that plane ride," Burt said. He had talked it over with Carole and although it flew in the face of the way he had been brought up, he recognized that his son was of a different generation. Things were not the same now and the boys had been sharing not only a cabin, but a bed for months. Burt would let them stay together. He thought he knew Kurt pretty well, and when they spoke about Kurt's relationship with Blaine a few days ago, Kurt told him they did kiss, but they were not 'going all the way'. They were being safe and taking it slow and Burt could trust them.

It was hard on the man, he had grown up in a different environment, in a different time. His folks would never condone their son having sex in their house. Burt was well aware of what could happen if Kurt and Blaine were to behave in the way most heterosexual couples did these days. He almost lost his son once, he wasn't willing to test the waters again. If Kurt was in a close relationship with his boyfriend, they had to have some outlet for their hormones. If they couldn't be close in their home, they might find other, less safe places.

So, in order to keep his son safe, Burt made a decision that went against everything he believed a responsible parent would do: he told Kurt that as long as he and Blaine were in this relationship, they could have a bedroom to themselves. They could lock the door. As long as they respected each other and respected the other people in the house, it would be okay. Burt could not lose his son to homophobic maniacs for just kissing in the back of a car, and this was the only way he could figure out to keep them safe. He closed his eyes and sent a silent prayer towards heaven, asking Elizabeth if he was doing the right thing.

Kurt stood up and held out his hand to Blaine, but Blaine only looked at Burt. He didn't want to alienate the father of the boy he cared about more than anything on this earth. He wasn't sure what to do and he froze, looking beseechingly at Burt for confirmation. Burt walked over to speak to Blaine privately.

"Go ahead, Sport. Kurt will show you where everything is, and I'm okay with you sharing the room. We can talk about it later, but just know it's okay," Burt said in a soft voice. He squeezed Blaine's shoulder to show his approval and gave him a little push to start him on his way. Kurt held out his hand and Blaine took it, following Kurt down to the basement.

"Kurt? What's going on here?" Blaine asked. They had not discussed what the living arrangements would be once Blaine got to Ohio.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. Dad and I talked about it when you were talking to Cooper and Lenore. He is worried that if we show affection in public, the same thing could happen again. So, he is very generously allowing me to have you stay here in my room with me while you're here."

Blaine just stared at Kurt for a moment, not sure of how to take this.

"You don't have to sleep with me, Blaine, if you're uncomfortable," Kurt said, getting a little worried. Maybe he overstepped his boundaries?

"Oh, no...I want to sleep with you.." Blaine stopped short and the blush came to cover his whole face. "Oh...I didn't mean that!"

Kurt was blushing, too, although he knew perfectly well what Blaine really meant, he had to poke the bear.

"Oh, so you don't want to have your way with me after all? Well, Blaine, I guess I know when I'm not wanted," and he gave Blaine his best bitch-glare and stuck his nose in the air.

"Kurt! You know that's not what I meant! Of course I want you! I want to sleep with you!"

"Oh, you just want my body, then?" Kurt was having fun with this. Blaine just stood there, stuttering for a moment before he caught the little smirk in the corner of Kurt's mouth and realized he was playing.

"Kurt, come here," Blaine demanded and when Kurt came closer, he took him in his arms. He leaned forward and whispered into Kurt's ear, brushing his fingertips across his boyfriend's cheek as he spoke: "You know I want you, I want all of you and I want to give you all of me. But for now, what I meant was that I would like very much to continue to cuddle you like a koala bear at night because you are snuggly and I just kind of got used to having you there," Blaine said, ending it with a kiss.

"Hey, get a room!" Finn said from the doorway, grinning at his brother and the boyfriend. Blaine jumped a mile, letting go of Kurt and stepping back. "Oh, hey...Blaine! I was just joking, Dude. Calm down. You can kiss Kurt anytime you two want. I'm just glad to have you home." He lifted the suitcases he'd brought downstairs into the room and set them on the sofa.

"Kurt, I've gotten a few dozen texts; everyone wants to know when they can come over to see you. I know it's a little soon, but they have helped in trying to find you and they were grieving when we thought you were gone. Let me know when you're up to it, or if you just want them a few at a time, okay?" Finn asked, smiling at his brother.

"I will. Maybe tomorrow? I want to rest and Blaine needs to figure things out first. This is all new for him," Kurt said, giving Finn a smile back. He was so happy to be back in his own room, and having Finn closer to him was an unexpected bonus. "Thank you, Finn. I'm so glad to be back home with you," and he gave his brother a hug before turning back to Blaine.

"I'm glad you're here, too, Blaine. I'll show you around town this week, get you used to how things are here, okay?" Finn offered and earned a happy smile from his brother's boyfriend, too.

"I'll see you guys in a few hours for dinner. Burt is making ribs on the grill. I'll come get you if you want to take a nap now," Finn offered.

"Thanks, Finn," Kurt grinned.

After Finn left, Kurt closed the door to avoid any more interruptions. He could see that despite his smile and obvious curiosity about where he was, Blaine was exhausted and stressed. It must be so difficult to leave behind everything he had ever known to jump into a whole new environment just to please his boyfriend. Kurt understood, having experienced something similar when he woke up in the logging camp.

"Here, I have the extra dresser over here that you can use. This is where we store all the old furniture, so when I moved my bedroom down here I also got all of the castoffs. There is another bed we can set up if you want your own, we could move the sofa and chair out of the way..."

"Kurt. I lived in a cabin half the size of this room. I think anything you have here now is just fine. Quit worrying, I'm pretty low maintenance. All I need is you right now and a bed to lay my head. I'm tired. Do you want to take a nap with me?' Blaine asked, clearly ready for some sleep.

"You're right. We need to get some things done, buy you some clothes, get the room ready, plan for you to meet everyone..." Kurt continued to talk and Blaine took off his shoes and sweater, stripping down to a t-shirt and briefs while directing Kurt to do the same. Before he'd finished talking, Kurt found himself ready for a nap and gladly fell into his queen-sized pillow-top mattress, his boyfriend pulling him under the sheets.

They curled together, Blaine heaving a huge sigh indicative of all the stress he was shedding as he closed his eyes and clung to Kurt. Kurt kissed his cheek and ran his hand down Blaine's back.

"Are you scared, Blaine?"

"Yeah, Kurt if I'm honest – I am a little scared. This is all new to me and it seems so unreal. I've read a lot of books, but this is not the way I imagined so many things," Blaine confessed.

"I'll keep you safe, my love. We'll get through this. You're braver than I could ever be, and don't think I will forget that you are doing this for me. Thank you."

"It's for selfish reasons, too. I want you with me, I want to be where you are. I'd do a lot more than this to make that happen. Now, let's get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

Kurt snuggled closer to Blaine, burying his nose in Blaine's neck.

"I'm glad you're here, baby. Really glad," Kurt mumbled as he fell asleep.

"I'm glad, too," and Blaine was out, too.


	12. Chapter 12 - Homecoming

"I just couldn't wait, Boo!" Mercedes said, her arms around Kurt as he wiped tears from his cheeks at waking up to see his best friend.

"Oh, Mercedes! How I missed you. I have a hundred things to tell you!" Kurt grinned.

He had been sound asleep, wrapped as usual with Blaine, when he felt someone shake his shoulder. He thought it was Blaine and tugged him closer, kissing his neck with tenderness. Blaine responded by humming his happiness and mumbling his love for Kurt in his sleep. Mercedes jumped back. She'd let herself in as usual, Burt had told her years ago that she was family and could just come in whenever she visited them, and she went down the stairs to Kurt's room to surprise him. She was the one surprised when she woke him up, only to find someone in his bed.

Kurt jumped, but quickly discovered what had happened and, putting a finger to his lips to ask her to be quiet, he untangled himself from his octopus of a boyfriend and got out of bed. He put on a pair of sleep pants he had hastily pulled from a drawer. Ushering Mercedes to the other side of the room, they hugged before he waved her onto the sofa.

"I...I don't know where to start, Kurt. I prayed for you every day, honey, and I had faith you were going to be back. It was hard, but I tried to keep the faith..." she said, then dissolved in tears. "Oh, my Lord, I'm so glad to have you back."

"I'm pretty glad to be back in some ways...a lot happened to me. But to see all the people I love again? That's the best thing," he said, once more kissing her cheek and holding her in a tight hug. "So, did anyone miss me?" He laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"You can imagine what it did to your family, but at school? Suddenly everyone who was barely acquainted with you was your best friend. It was weird...people who I know didn't give you the time of day before were crying in the halls and reciting eulogies. But your real friends? We never lost hope, Boo. You'll see, they are all so thrilled to have you back."

"It's going to be weird to go back to school. I didn't go for those months I was in Oregon – well, not to a classroom. I had a real education, though. I probably learned more things that matter in those months than I did the last three years of school," Kurt told his friend.

"Okay, Kurt. I know you're trying to ignore the elephant in the room...but tell me who that is in your BED?" she asked, a little miffed that Kurt hadn't told her to begin with.

"Blaine is my boyfriend. He found me when the camp bouncers threw me off the train and hid me to save my life. He taught me how to live in the mountains...and, Mercedes...oh, nevermind."

Mercedes gave him a penetrating look, seeing the way he blushed and kept glancing to see if the boy was awake yet. Bells went off in her head.

"Oh...you're in love, aren't you?" she asked, but it really wasn't a question. She could see it in his eyes.

"Yeah, Mercy...I am. And it's scaring me a little. No, scratch that...it's scaring me a lot."

She just sat and looked at Kurt, her eyes big as she stared at him. Finn told her he had come home a different person, and she was seeing that for herself.

"I want to meet him, Kurt. I'm going to go home and let you have your rest for now. I just had to come see you in person, to touch you for myself and know you are really back here with us. But I want to meet your boyfriend, and make it soon," she demanded, still speaking in a stage whisper.

"You can meet me right now if you want," Blaine said from across the room. He had woken up to find Kurt wasn't there and looked around at the sound of quiet voices. He reached over to the end of the bed and slid on his jeans under the covers so he could get up and meet this girl who was obviously an important person in Kurt's life, judging from the way he was hugging her, leaving kisses on her cheek and temple every so often.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I woke you!" Mercedes apologized.

"No, it's not anything to worry about. I want to meet Kurt's friends," Blaine said with a big smile on his face. He walked over to the sofa where Kurt was sitting in the middle and Mercedes was on the left.

"Blaine, this is my best friend, Mercedes Jones. Mercy, this is my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson," Kurt introduced them, Blaine shaking Mercedes' hand. She stood up, grinning as she looked him up and down, turning to wink at Kurt – who blushed a deep red.

"I'm so glad to meet a friend of Kurt's, I hope we get to be good friends, Mercedes," Blaine said, always the gentleman. Mercy smiled at the handsome boy.

"I know we will, honey. I'm happy to meet you as well," Mercedes returned. "Now, Kurt, I do need to get going. I'll come over when you've had a chance to rest and get used to being in Ohio again. I'll need the whole story. Finn sent a text to a few people that you were home safe, that you'd been in Oregon and he'd be organizing a quiet party for your friends but you know I could never stay away, right?"

"Never in life, Mercy, and I'm so happy you are the first person I got to see. I love you, thank you for praying for me." Kurt didn't believe in a god the way Mercedes did, but he appreciated that this was the way she cared for him.

He walked to the door with her, hugging her one more time as she left.

"Ah, so that is the famous Mercedes!" Blaine grinned. "She sure must have missed you, Kurt. I was kind of sad we had to leave Oregon, but now I'm very happy you're home with people who love you," Blaine said.

"Well, I'm here with the person who loves me the most, aren't I?" he said, throwing his arms around Blaine and giving him a deep kiss. "Not to mention the person I love the most..."

They kissed for a while, that never got old, and then talked about what they wanted to do.

"Let's have my friends over tomorrow for lunch. It's Sunday and school starts back up on Monday. I don't know what Dad had planned for that. Since you weren't in school in Oregon, I don't know what the law is, do you?"

"I was "home schooled", which means my dad and then Cooper taught me whatever I needed to know. Both Cookie and Shannon helped. Shannon used to be a school teacher before she married Cookie and came to the camp. I had a representative from the school board come and give me a test every other year to make sure I was learning everything I needed to know. I never had a problem passing the tests, so I guess I did okay. I don't know the rules in Ohio. I can register at your high school. That's what I want, so I get to spend more time with you."

"I like that idea. Well, we'll talk to my dad. Then, if you want to, we can go buy you some clothes? I love you in anything, and your clothes are good for your lifestyle, but I was hoping that while you are here and going to high school...maybe I could help you choose some?"

"Already ahead of you there, Kurt. Cooper told me to go buy clothes when I got here. I was hoping you would help me pick out the right kind of clothes?"

Kurt was practically jumping up and down. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes...we can go now if you want?"

"Okay, down, sport! Yes, we can go as soon as you want. Somehow I knew you might get excited about dressing me," Blaine giggled. Kurt fake-punched him on the shoulder, so Blaine wrestled him to the ground and started tickling him. They ended up laughing and rolling around together.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Kurt called, not willing to give up the hold he had on Blaine, pinning him to the ground as he tickled his ribs.

"Kurt, you wanted me to get you up by two. I was coming to wake you up, but it looks like you're already awake," Burt said.

"Yeah, Mercedes was already down here, so we were awake already. We'll be up in a few minutes. I might go shopping with Blaine to get him some new clothes, if that's okay?"

"Sure. It's only two, dinner isn't until six – why don't you take Blaine to the mall now before dinner? It will get you out of the house and get Blaine acquainted with a mall before all your friends descend on you tomorrow? It's just a suggestion, of course, you can do what you want," Burt said.

Kurt looked at Blaine, who grinned and gave him a look that said, 'sure'.

"Okay, we'll go. I will be sure to get home by six, okay, Dad?" Kurt agreed, which made Blaine smile, too.

Kurt and his dad had walked upstairs and were waiting for Blaine, but before they could leave, there was a knock on the door and Kurt went to answer it. Opening the door, he was greeted with a hug and a squeeze and tears...Rachel squealed and was jumping up and down as Kurt grinned and hugged her back.

"Rachel!" he crowed, so happy to see her.

"I know Finn is having everyone from the New Directions over tomorrow, but I couldn't stay away. Oh, Kurt!" she was pulling him over to the sofa to sit next to Burt. "Tell me everything...I am so sorry about everything. I mean, it was my fault. Finn was supposed to take you home and he left with me..." she looked so guilty, hanging her head.

"No, Rachel. It wasn't your fault. And I ended up okay, so let's just drop it. I know you and Finn..." he let his thought go and just looked at her.

"It was a bad time, Kurt. I let my anxiety get the better of me, he was blaming himself...it was bad for everyone. I hope one day Finn and I can get back together, but it looks kind of hopeless right now."

"Oh, Rachel, honey. Don't be so sad. There is always hope, and I happen to know Finn feels bad about all that. He told me when he came to get me. I think you just need to talk to him," Kurt reassured his friend.

"He's up in his room, Rachel. Why don't you go up and see if he wants to talk now?" Burt suggested. Rachel's eyes lit up.

"Can I?" she asked.

"Of course. The door stays open, but go up and talk to him," Burt smiled.

"Thank you, Burt," Rachel said, getting up to go upstairs. She hugged Kurt one more time, "I'm so glad you're home."

As it turned out, Mercedes and Rachel accompanied the boys to the mall, which was quite an experience for Blaine. He was easy going most of the time, but the streets filled with people and cars and noise were unnerving for someone used to the quiet solitude of an Oregon forest. They got quite a few things for him to wear, but he was very tired when they got back home. Not physically tired, but emotionally. As the day went by, he had clung more closely to Kurt, asking his advice on every piece of clothing he chose. Because he had the money from the trust fund set up by Mr. Warner when his father died, there was no problem with buying whatever he needed, so he bought quite a few things – mostly at the suggestion of Kurt or the girls.

Upon returning home, Blaine went down to the bedroom to rest. Kurt wandered into the family room, sitting down by his dad.

"I don't know how well Blaine is doing. He was so nervous and clingy. I don't mind that, but it was such a change from the way he was in Oregon," Kurt said.

"This is all new for him. I'm amazed he's doing as well as he is, Kurt. Can you imagine what it must be like for him?" Burt asked.

"Yeah, it has to be hard. But he'll be fine. He's stronger than he looks," Kurt grinned.

"I'll go to school with you two on Monday morning and get everything settled for him to attend. That's what Cooper wants. He thinks it will help Blaine in the long run, in case he wants to go to college," Burt said.

After dinner, Kurt went down to his bedroom with Blaine to help him decide what to wear to the party tomorrow.

"It's not really a party, just a chance for my friends to come see I'm not a corpse," Kurt laughed.

"Oh, that's an interesting way to put it!" Blaine said, a little shocked.

"I just want to get it over with and get back to a regular routine. I don't want to have to tell the story anymore, it's like it never even happened to me – I don't remember much between leaving the dance and waking up seeing your beautiful eyes. I kind of remember being hit on the head with a broken bottle, and then I was so thirsty on the train. I had to lick dirty rainwater off the floor. Eww. That part I remember clearly – how thirsty I was, and how you offered me a bottle of water. That was the single most wonderful tasting thing in the whole world, that bottle of water. I might have fallen in love with you that very day, Blaine."

Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes, those beautiful eyes that made him want to help Kurt the minute he saw him. They were so unique – the blue-gray-green-silver of them with little golden sparkles that danced when Kurt smiled. Who could resist falling in love with those eyes?

"Here, try the copper brown shirt with those teal Wang jeans, then this gold and teal striped sweater vest..." Kurt was matching yet another outfit for Blaine to try on. What really caught Blaine's eye were the bow ties that Kurt had insisted he get. He didn't even know how to tie one, but they looked great with every outfit he tried on. He found himself looking forward to going to school with Kurt on Monday. It was kind of strange – Blaine had spent his whole life wearing flannel and Levi's, but this was fun. They tried on clothes, matched accessories, and then hung them all up in the closet and sat on the sofa to watch a movie.

Blaine had never seen a television, though he knew what one was. They had a movie projector at the main camp and he had seen movies on that; they sometimes played an old movie in the warehouse to entertain the lumberjacks in camp. His favorites were old black and white classics from the 1940's: The Thin Man, anything with Humphrey Bogart or John Wayne. Kurt liked those, too. But he knew something he bet Blaine would love...he'd made plans as soon as he found out that Blaine had never seen a cartoon.

Kurt had gone upstairs and returned with two bowls. "I have a movie all ready to go, and here's some ice cream for us as we watch."

Blaine sat on the sofa and Kurt brought over a quilt to wrap up in. Blaine fluffed the pillows and sat with his back against them, patting the sofa for Kurt to join him. Kurt pushed the 'play' button on the remote and the music started. Blaine didn't pay a lot of attention at first, more interested in finishing his ice cream and kissing Kurt's neck, but as the mermaid sisters began to sing for their father, Blaine's eyes kept getting wider and wider. Half a bowl of cherry chocolate cordial sat melting and Kurt's neck was neglected as Sebastian the crab sang about the 'hot crustacean band' under the sea. Kurt hid his smile behind Blaine as he leaned his cheek on his boyfriend's back, he knew Blaine would like the movie, but this was way more than he expected.

"Oh, Kurt! I've read the story...Hans Christian Anderson wrote it, and I read it because Cooper told me we were related to him, but this is just...magical!" Blaine said in absolute joy.

Kurt moved to the other end of the sofa, fluffing pillows and taking off his shoes. He tugged Blaine to rest between his legs and sat with his arms around Blaine – who was mesmerized by Ariel and Prince Eric. Kurt sang along with some of the songs, making Blaine's smile just about split his face. Kurt had to admit, seeing Blaine this excited was just so much better than he had anticipated.

When the movie was over, Blaine wanted to see it again, but Kurt insisted they get ready for bed. Kurt didn't want Blaine to feel pressured, so he had told him he could shower first, but Blaine came back out of the bathroom, wearing only a robe, and asked Kurt to come shower with him. Kurt couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

In the shower, Kurt put some lavender scented gel on a washcloth and started to scrub Blaine's back, rubbing little circles and standing closer than he strictly needed to. He gently washed Blaine's skin, relishing in the hot water that came with a turn of the faucet. But somewhere in his heart, he missed the simple way they had washed up in the basin each night at the cabin. He washed Blaine's hair, massaging his scalp and then down his back, feeling the muscles relaxing as he went. Rinsing in the stream of hot water, he was suddenly taken with the realization that he was standing here, _naked_ with the boy he loved so much. He had his hands all over him and with that realization came his body's reaction: he found he was hard. Really hard.

He began to notice more: first, that Blaine's breathing was coming faster and harder and with every swipe of the washcloth against his bare skin, Blaine's breath caught a little more. He was just taking all of this in when his arms were suddenly filled with Blaine – kissing and caressing his own naked skin.

"Ahhh...Kurt, can you just hold me for a few minutes?" Blaine asked, although there was no need of those words since Kurt's arms were already around him. Blaine nuzzled his nose into Kurt's neck like he did at night when he wanted comfort.

"Of course, what's wrong?" Kurt was getting worried, this wasn't like Blaine at all. He was usually so self-confident.

"It's just a little overwhelming..." Blaine said in a soft voice, almost whispering as he held on to Kurt and spoke against his chest.

"I know. I cannot imagine what you're feeling right now, Blaine, but I won't leave you. You are safe with me, just like I was safe with you in Oregon. It's going to be okay, you'll get used to all the noise," Kurt just babbled on, not knowing what it was Blaine needed from him – but willing to try to provide it nonetheless.

They stayed together under the hot streaming water for a few more minutes, then Kurt started kissing Blaine's cheek, across to his temple and down to his mouth. Blaine was kissing back by the time Kurt was back for the second round. Their hands were busy, stroking and dancing over bare skin, exploring places that had not been touched before.

"Kurt, can I...can I..." Blaine lost his words, still very stressed from the day, and now even more intimidated thinking about the city and everything in it. Blaine had felt so lost all day, like he was in a bad dream he couldn't wake from. Not a nightmare, nothing that terrifying, just one of those where he is trapped and scared, with no way to exit.

"What do you need? Tell me, so I can help," Kurt said, caressing Blaine's chest and down to his belly, wanting to help if he could.

"I need to be closer to you, Kurt. I need something to ground me, to make me feel like I'm real again," Blaine blurted out, hoping Kurt understood.

"Yes, I can do that," he promised and his arms went back around Blaine, holding him close for a few moments, then moved to cup his jaw and kiss him deeply. While he was kissing Blaine, he moved snug against him, and all that warm, naked skin touched from knees to shoulders. Kurt's hands went down to Blaine's lower spine, adding pressure as he pushed his hips into Blaine's. It was warm from their body temperatures, but this caused even more heat..as their erections were trapped together between them.

"Oh...nghh..Kurt...," Blaine whispered, and bucked his own hips into Kurt's. "Yes..." he moaned into Kurt's ear, still somewhat quiet but beginning to come undone as they touched in this new way. Kurt was on autopilot now, not thinking conscious thoughts about where he was placing his hands, his fingers. He pushed his body against Blaine's where it felt the best and then his hands went to grasp Blaine – first his ass, stroking and squeezing, humming in complement as he held the two halves in the palms of his hands and massaged the round muscles he found there. Then his right hand went over Blaine's hip, light tickling fingers tracing the bones. He brought his right hand between them and gently circled around Blaine's erection, letting out a sigh before his voice echoed against the tiles as he felt the warmth coiling down his spine at the touch.

"Kurt, Kurt...hold me..tighter, Kurt, I feel like I'm going to fly into a million pieces, and I need you to hold me together," Blaine was sobbing and Kurt tightened his hold around Blaine's middle and his hold on his erection just a fraction more as he began stroking. "Hhnngg...oh, Kurt...more..."

Blaine turned so his back was towards Kurt and he ground his ass against Kurt's erection, tugging Kurt's hand forward so it came down to hold his cock again. Kurt was more than willing to comply and started the rhythm again, holding one arm around Blaine's waist as he pumped his fist up and down, feeling Blaine getting impossibly hard in his hand. He pulled Blaine tighter against his excited erection as he felt it slipping into the crack of Blaine's perfect ass. It wasn't like Kurt could penetrate or anything from this angle, this was just skin sliding on skin but the thought of what part of Blaine he was rutting against made him harder and more desperate for friction. Blaine was calling Kurt's name loudly as he pushed back into Kurt and came with large spurts of semen across Kurt's hand.

"Aaaannngg...Blaine, oh, you feel so good, Blaine...baby..." Kurt moaned out, a bit too loud, as the thrill of Blaine coming in his hand sent Kurt plunging toward the edge, his breath catching when he felt the heat in his belly that signaled the beginning of his climax - and Blaine was still moving against him, Kurt's cock sliding up and down the split of Blaine's perfect ass until he, too, was spilling his semen on his boyfriend's skin and moaning his pleasure into Blaine's neck, still holding him and vowing in his mind never to let him go.

They slid to the bottom of the tub, shaking knees and weak muscles, Blaine in Kurt's lap as they held each other through the afterglow of their intense session.

"Oh, Kurt...you are so good...I don't know how I could get through this week without you. You are my rock, you know, in all of these new things. I know I'll be okay because you are my rock," Blaine whispered into Kurt's chest as he leaned his cheek there.

"I know. Like you were mine in the camp, in the woods. We are right for each other, aren't we, Blaine?" Kurt asked, but it was a rhetorical question. They both knew the answer without discussion. Kurt kissed Blaine and they got themselves up and out of the shower. Still breathing heavily, Kurt handed Blaine a fluffy towel. They dried off and got their pajamas on...not thermals and flannel this time, but light silk...before going back to the sofa.

.

Finn had headed down to the basement to talk over the guest list for tomorrow's party with his brother, but when he walked into the room – the door was open – there wasn't anyone there. He was about to leave when he heard noises coming from the bathroom. Kurt must be in the shower, but then, where was Blaine? Finn hesitated for a second when he heard the noises increase.

At first he thought someone was hurt, it was a high pitched squeal. Ohhh...that wasn't _pain_. He knew what it was, he knew now both boys were in the shower, together, and he could guess what they were doing.

This wasn't any of his business, and he should leave, but he stood frozen, unable to move while he listened to the two boys come undone with lust. Finn wondered what they were doing exactly – he had never heard sounds like that come out of Rachel any time he'd made love to her.

He was smart enough to know it wasn't that Kurt and Blaine were gay, it was because they shared something that he didn't have with Rachel, no matter how many times he told himself they were soul mates. They didn't have this. It wasn't that he didn't try to please Rachel, he gave what she asked for, even things he felt uncomfortable with.

Rachel had told him she enjoyed their sexy times, and he had believed her - until the day he tried licking her, she had stiffened up and her breathing got heavy, almost panting. Then when he thought he'd hurt her from the way she was acting, and he pulled away defeated, she grabbed his head and jerked him back, begging him not to stop. After a while, she shuddered and moaned in a whole new way, and so wet he couldn't believe he'd caused that. That was the day she let him fuck her. In all the times since then, he tried his best to repeat the experience for her, and sometimes he achieved it. He knew the difference of whether she came or faked it: if she did, her nipples would contract, her breathing was different, and her eyes told him the truth. It was all he wanted for her, but it didn't always happen.

Finn had wondered if he was just clumsy. He knew how he looked to other people, a big, dumb klutz sometimes. He was more than that, and he had a really hard time showing people that. It mattered to him how Rachel saw him, and above all he wanted her to see him as a caring lover. So, he did his best, paying attention to what made her feel good above what he wanted for himself. But that didn't mean every time they were together it was good.

Listening to Kurt and Blaine, moaning and begging each other for more, he wondered if they had the same issues. Did it work every time? He always thought it was far easier for a guy to have a climax than it was a girl – facts he gleaned from listening to the guys in the locker room along with his own experience. So, if it was two guys, did they have a better sex life than a girl and a guy? He didn't know, but Blaine was certainly being vocal about Kurt's abilities right now. Wow. It sounded like they were tearing the roof off the place.

Finn got a hold of himself, he really didn't belong here listening. Somewhere in his gut, he thought about what it must take to draw that kind of response out of another person – and he was suddenly ridiculously proud of his brother. He turned and walked back up the stairs.

"Do you have any other movies by Disney?" Blaine asked. "Or we could watch the mermaid one again."

"Yes, I have all of them. Lady and the Tramp, Bambi, Mulan, The Lion King – I really like that one – Pocahontas, Dumbo, Peter Pan...oh, here, I'll put this one in. Get comfortable," Kurt grinned. He put the disc in the player and sat on the sofa against the pillows. Blaine cuddled beside him and they covered up with the quilt. Kurt pushed the remote button to start "Beauty and the Beast".

"_Little town, it's a quiet village  
Every day like the one before  
Little town full of little people  
Waking up to say..._

_Bonjour!"_

"Oh, I love this story," Blaine said, his eyes sparkling. Kurt thought he'd never get tired of seeing Blaine experience things for the first time. Was he like this when he learned something new at the logging camp?

"I love it, too. My mother used to read me fairy tales when I was little. This was one of her favorites," Kurt said, lacing his fingers with Blaine's on his lap.

Blaine was enchanted by the story, kissing Kurt and holding his hand as he watched the characters sing and dance on the screen. Kurt saw the movie in a whole new way, appreciating it through the eyes of someone who was experiencing it for the first time.

About halfway through the movie, Finn knocked on the door frame.

"Finn, come in," Kurt said.

"I wanted to go over the list for tomorrow and see how Blaine is doing, if you're not busy."

"I'm fine, Finn," Blaine said, smiling at his friend's brother. "I was kind of overwhelmed today with everything, but Kurt is making me feel better."

Finn blushed at that, not sure what to say, and Kurt was blushing, too, when he met Finn's eyes.

"I meant...we're watching fairy tale movies," Blaine tried to rectify the conversation, realizing that Finn had taken what he said in a different way than he meant it.

"Oh, yeah, Beauty and the Beast. Hey, you should watch Lion King, that's my favorite," Finn said, glad to change the subject.

"Lion King? Oh, you said you liked that one, too, didn't you, Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, it's the story of Hamlet, but Disney uses lions as the royalty of Denmark. Plus, it has some cute songs."

"I Just Can't Wait To Be King!" Finn sang out.

"What?" Blaine looked a little surprised.

"That's one of the songs from Lion King, Blaine," Kurt informed him.

"Hey, this is almost over, why don't I go pop some corn and we can watch Lion King together?" Finn suggested. "It's only 8:30, we have time. Oh, only if you want. Maybe you two would rather be alone?"

"No, that sounds great. I'll get some fruit juice to have with the popcorn. Can I get you anything else, Blaine?" Kurt asked, getting up and looking for his slippers.

"I'll come help," Blaine offered, tossing Kurt's missing slipper to him and putting on his own.

The three boys went to the kitchen to get the snacks for the evening, Blaine taking the tray of juice down first.

Kurt was about to follow him when Finn put a hand to his arm to stop him.

"Yes, Finn?"

"I just wanted...just wanted to ask if you're happy, Kurt. Being back home with us, I mean. I have an idea that you and Blaine were happy there in the mountains. Are you happy to be home, too?" Finn asked, not sure how to ask what he really wanted to know.

"Yeah, Finn, I am. I will tell you that being with Blaine was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I always had an empty, sad place inside me because I wanted to be home just as much. Maybe this is my dream come true...to be here, but have Blaine in my life, too. I just hope it lasts," Kurt said to his brother, going up to him and leaning his head on Finn's shoulder. "I haven't had a lot of good things last in my life, Finn. Let's hope this one does."

Finn gave him a hug, patting him on the back.

"I hope so, Kurt. You deserve some happiness after all you've been through. Now, let's go watch Lion King. We can go over who you want to be here tomorrow while we watch the movie."

"Hey, Kurt, I think he's asleep. Want some help getting him into bed?" Finn asked when the movie ended.

"I think I can get him, but thanks," Kurt said.

"Okay, see you in the morning. And Kurt, thanks for talking to Rachel. She called this afternoon after you got home from shopping. She wants to go out for coffee tomorrow morning. I know it was your encouragement that got her to call me. Thanks, Bro."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Finn," Kurt gave him a hug. Since coming home, everyone had been so much more affectionate. This terrible thing to happen to Kurt, the beating, was one of the worst things he could imagine - but so many good things ended up happening because of it. Mixed blessing, Kurt thought.

"Blaine," Kurt called, stroking the backs of his fingers down Blaine's cheek. "Blaine, let's get into bed, it's late," Kurt said softly.

Blaine blinked awake. "Gosh, Kurt, I didn't mean to fall asleep. Where's Finn?"

"He went to bed. Let's get there ourselves, I'm tired. Do you need help?" Kurt offered.

"Nah, I just need to brush my teeth. I'll be along in a minute."

Kurt had already gotten ready, so he climbed into bed. Blaine followed in a few minutes.

"Hey, how did you like the Disney movies?" Kurt asked, thinking of how Blaine's eyes had twinkled in amusement at the animated stories.

"Oh, Kurt, they were amazing. Truly amazing. I know they are meant for kids, but I enjoyed them. It was kind of you to show them to me and not laugh. I fear I look a little ridiculous to you at times and you are so sweet not to mention it. You're the best," Blaine gushed, holding Kurt's hand.

"No, no..you saw how Finn and I both loved them. I watch Disney flicks all the time. And now I have my very own Disney prince," Kurt smiled, kissing Blaine's lips. Blaine giggled.

"I have to apologize for my behavior earlier, Kurt. I was overwhelmed for a while, but to beg you in the shower like that...well, I'm sorry. It was unfair and I didn't even talk it over with you before putting you in that spot. I hope you feel comfortable enough to say no if I ask for too much, Kurt," Blaine said in a very soft voice. He didn't feel like himself here yet, and he would like to think he would not act that way if he was at home.

Kurt shifted his weight uncomfortably. He wasn't sure how to talk about this, so he was quiet for a while, thinking. Blaine started to regret saying anything at all, afraid he'd put up a wall between them just when he needed Kurt the most.

"Oh, shit." Blaine said, wringing his hands together.

Kurt startled, he had never heard Blaine use a swear word before. "No, Blaine, I was just thinking about how to say this. I am new at talking about feelings and things. I know how to talk to my dad, but not with anyone else. I've said more to you than I have ever told anyone in my life. I want you to know things about me – but I don't know how to tell you, what words to use," Kurt looked at his boyfriend, silently begging him to understand.

"Okay, Kurt," Blaine said, "I can wait, or you don't have to tell me if it's uncomfortable for you. It won't change how I feel about you."

So much was spinning through Kurt's mind, but his tongue was refusing to put it into words. He leaned his forehead on Blaine's shoulder, the connection helping. Blaine reached his hand up and carded his fingers through Kurt's chestnut hair.

Dread at saying the wrong thing pooled thick and icy in the pit of Kurt's stomach. Why did things seem so simple in Oregon, but so complicated here in Ohio?

"Blaine, I didn't mind that you asked me to do those things in the shower. I liked them. I want you to be able to ask me when you want something, kinda because I can't do it. I think all sorts of things, wonderful things that I want to do with you, and I dream about them and practice asking you – but then when I'm with you, I'm tongue tied and I can't drag a single syllable out of my mouth," Kurt blushed.

"But Kurt! You can ask me anything. Anything at all. We can talk about it, or just sit together and think about it. I love you, Kurt. Don't you think I might want the same things you want us to do?"

"I hadn't thought about it that way. I've been made to think how awful I am for being gay all my life, I always thought the things I wanted, the things I fantasize about were wrong. So it's hard to tell you because it's hard to think of those things as being okay," Kurt said.

"I thought your dad was so accepting, that he told you being who you are is okay. Was he not always that way?" Blaine wondered.

"He has always accepted me. When I came out to him I was fifteen, he told me he had known since I was three. He's never made me feel anything but loved and accepted in his heart, in our home. But he also warned me about how the world can treat someone who is different, and I took that to heart. I guess what I got out of it was that while he loved me unconditionally, the rest of the world had a different opinion. Now that I look back, it's probably not the message he meant to give me," Kurt sighed. "What about you?"

"I didn't hear much either way. My dad never mentioned it to me, though he knew I was gay. I think he was waiting for me to be comfortable with telling him, but I never got the chance. I did tell Cooper, just after our dad died. He was cool with it, just kind of brushed it off – like he wasn't surprised and it wasn't anything unusual. He never made a big deal out of it but he would introduce me to guys now and then that he probably thought were gay.

"There was one guy, kind of a free-thinker you might say, that told me people should fall in love with people and quit worrying about the whole gender thing. I liked the idea of that, but the truth is that I was never attracted to a girl. Not even Lenore. I would kind of look at some guys from time to time, but I just thought maybe love wasn't in the cards for me - -until I saw you," Blaine smiled and his whole face brightened up.

"I could hardly wait for night to fall, just so I could cuddle next to you in bed. I was daydreaming about you all the time, Kurt. I only taught you to tie flies so I could put my arms around you," Blaine confessed, blushing, then continued:

"I would wake up so hard from just you brushing against me, then I was so embarrassed, I'd pretend I was asleep until I had calmed down enough to pull the blankets off. I wanted to touch you, Kurt, but I was so scared you would get angry, so I never did it. Not that I didn't lie awake planning how I'd wait for you to fall asleep, then 'accidentally' brush my hand over your pajamas..." Blaine seemed to suddenly realize how much he had said and dived under the blanket, hiding his head in shame and embarrassment.

"Blaine! Blaine, come back out here. Now. We're going to talk about this right now," Kurt stage whispered, trying to hold himself still and calm. He grabbed Blaine's pajamas and dragged him back out to talk.

"Oh..Kurt...have I ruined it all? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect to you, it's just...you're so hot, and sweet, and I love you."

"We're okay. I was having so many of the same thoughts, Blaine. I loved all the innocent kisses, the touching of fingertips you might say. It was romantic, like the night we went stargazing. But Blaine, I'm a 16 year old teenager, and of course I wanted to experience sex with you. I just didn't know how – or what—to ask for. I still don't."

Kurt scooted farther under the blankets, wiggling away from Blaine so there was a distance between them, but he kept eye contact. He seemed restless, so Blaine gave him his space.

"We need to talk about what we want, what we're comfortable with. I don't know much except the things I heard around camp. Cooper got me a book, but it was kind of..fanciful, I guess you'd call it. A lot of the things in it didn't seem likely that people would really do them." Blaine blushed again and Kurt wondered what was in the book.

"My dad got me pamphlets from the health center, they're in the drawer over there if you want to read them. I was really embarrassed when he got them for me, but they are informative," Kurt said helpfully. "And I do have some...ah...supplies?"

Blaine giggled. "Oh, really? Do tell."

"Hey, it's not anything...ah..exotic. I have some lubricant and condoms. Okay? I ordered them online last year when Dad got me the pamphlets."

They were quiet for a while, laying apart from each other and Blaine wanted to scoot closer to Kurt and at least put his arms around him, but he was apprehensive about approaching him, given his hasty retreat. Blaine started to drift off, still tired from the stress of the day.

"Blaine, are you in the mood to talk about what we want with this relationship?" Kurt asked.

"Sure, Kurt. Maybe we need ground rules?"

"Yes, like we agree not to judge the other, even if it is a foreign concept and we don't want to do it," Kurt suggested.

"Agreed. And we can opt out of talking about a specific thing if we feel uncomfortable, okay?" Blaine offered.

"Agreed. We need a safe word," he said, remembering that from the pamphlets. "One either of us can say if we need things to stop."

"Red, and yellow for slow down?"

"Okay. I guess that's better than 'bunch feller'." Kurt said.

Blaine dissolved in giggles.

Kurt turned around a little, lying on his back with his hands folded on his chest. Blaine was on his side, facing Kurt, with his knees pulled up to his chest.

"Blaine?"

"Yeah."

"What do you fantasize about when you're alone?"

"You mean after we met? Mostly about you. I wanted to touch you, to kiss you all over, to lick and taste you and hear you moan when I did. I wanted to stroke your arms and tickle your belly, just to see your eyes sparkle and to hear you giggle. I love...your ass. I want to kiss the round cheeks and run my hands over the taut muscle, then touch you in all your secret places that only I'm allowed to know about. I wanted to do things that made you shiver and tremble, and to have you do them to me, too. And one day, I want to make love to you. I want to hear you call my name when you come; to see your face when you say you love me. Kurt, I just want you..." Blaine said, tears forming in his eyes as he looked at Kurt beside him.

They were quiet once again. Kurt moved over and stretched to turn on the stereo to a classic music station, then turned off the lamp. He had already closed and locked the door after brushing his teeth.

They lay still in the quiet room, drinking in the darkness and alone with their own thoughts.

"Blaine?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you come over here and hold me?" Kurt asked.

"Of course," Blaine replied, and Kurt could hear the smile in his voice. He shifted over to the center of the bed where Kurt was lying..and gasped. Blaine realized that when Kurt had been wiggling a lot earlier, he was removing his clothes, every stitch.

"Oh, Kurt...you're ...naked?" Blaine asked. Kurt just giggled.

Blaine wasted no time in removing his pajamas and wrapping his naked body around Kurt.

"I do want the same things that you do, Blaine. I think we need to go slowly, at least at first, but I'm open to your suggestions. I think we can explore together and find what fits with us, can't we?" he whispered.

"That's the best way...you're right. You are so smart, I love that about you. I want it all some day, Kurt, but we have our whole lives to experience everything. For tonight, I just want to touch you, to feel how warm your skin is against mine. You are so beautiful to me."

Blaine ran his hand down Kurt's neck, skimming his fingers over the soft skin and humming his pleasure at having access to the body he had dreamed about all those weeks. It was amazing to him that he could do this, and that Kurt was not just tolerant, but enthusiastic and he showed it with every touch.

Kurt lay still, concentrating on just feeling Blaine's fingertips and how he found all the places that felt so good. Kurt felt cherished and appreciated in a way he had never experienced before. He reached to massage Blaine's back, tickling just a little to get Blaine to laugh, then stroked his muscles. Even if he hadn't known Blaine was a boxer, he could figure it out by feeling the muscles in his arms and chest. Blaine had an amazing chest with tight abs and a soft belly. Kurt moved so he could kiss that softness, cooing at his boyfriend and telling him how much he loved how he looked and felt. Blaine was so moved by what Kurt had said, he was speechless.

His voice might not be working, but his mouth had no such problems and he explored Kurt's body with it. Leaving a trail of wetness behind him, he kissed down Kurt's ribs, finding he was a little ticklish there. He came to the hipbone nearer to him, sucking on the place where it stuck out, so pale in the moonlight. Licking over to Kurt's belly, he found it was something that Blaine's wasn't..it was flat, almost concave.

"Kurt, you need to eat more, baby. You are way too skinny. I want you to be happy, not hungry!" Blaine admonished.

Kurt looked hurt. Blaine was instantly sorry.

"No, what I mean is that I worry if you get too thin. Are you eating enough? I love all of you, and I didn't mean to criticize, okay?"

"I haven't been eating enough lately, but it's just nerves at having to come back here, to go back to the place where I was beaten...I guess it's getting to me a little." Kurt confessed.

Blaine sat up, pulling Kurt into his lap and wrapping him in his arms.

"Kurt, you are going to be fine. I will be there, and while I can't claim to be superman, I will do my best to protect you. And I know Finn will be doing the same. We love you, and I'm willing to bet your friends are all going to be looking out for you. There is something else I want to talk to you about: I want to teach you how to box, if you want to learn. You need to know how to protect yourself, Kurt, in case you're ever caught alone. Okay?"

"Okay. I will. Now, where were we?" he asked, kissing Blaine thoroughly and pushing him back on the bed, laying on top of him to feel the whole length of his body against Blaine's. They kissed and touched and said sweet things to each other late into the night, and although they agreed on several things they wanted to try in the coming weeks, they didn't go further than touching this night. They fell asleep, forgetting to put their pajamas back on.

Blaine woke up in the night, searching for Kurt and finding him –

Half asleep, Blaine lay close to Kurt. He turned to face him, as they did in the cabin to conserve warmth between them, as he fell back into a deep sleep. The cuddles turned from warm and sweet to something more desperate and hot, bringing Kurt fully awake as Blaine rutted against him.

"Blaine, Blaine, wake up," Kurt shout-whispered, a little startled that Blaine could be this worked up and not actually be awake.

"Ahhh..oh...OHHH!" Blaine blinked his way out of sleep, realizing what he was doing. "Oh, Kurt, I'm so sorry..I was dreaming," He said with an embarrassed blush.

"It's okay, Blaine. I'm pretty sure I was having the same dream," Kurt giggled.

"Then let's pretend we're still asleep and let our bodies have their way?" Blaine giggled back. He meant it as a joke, but Kurt certainly didn't take it that way and soon they were closer than before – and the pull between them felt like some kind of physical law, like gravity, but much more compelling.

The silly premise that their bodies would have it their own way was just an excuse to get closer and since there were no obstacles like pajamas in their way it wasn't long before they were rutting into each other. Kurt pushed what limits the boys had agreed upon, not seeking permission to touch when he moved his fingers down Blaine's back and cupped his ass, squeezing a little. Blaine responded immediately, bucking forward as he reacted to the stimuli.

"MMMMmmmmm.." he hummed into Kurt's neck where he had buried his face, breathing in the scent of _his_ Kurt. Pleased by the way Blaine reacted, Kurt ran his other hand down so he could massage with both hands.

"Kuuurrrtt.." Blaine moaned, reduced to monosyllabic muttering. He pulled back just enough to get his own hand between them, holding onto both of them at the same time, the silky skin of one rubbing against the other in a delicious friction.

"Blaine...Blaine...that is so good...make me come, please...I need it, Blaine," Kurt said in such a desperate voice that Blaine redoubled his efforts, moving back to give himself more room to work. He thought about letting go of himself and just concentrating on Kurt, but this was too good to stop just now..maybe in a few moments. But those moments were never realized because the heat that had been pooling inside Blaine suddenly did a quantum leap and he could not have let go if a bomb went off.

"Hhhnnnnggg...OH...dontstopdontstop...baby..I'm coming..." Kurt practically shouted and Blaine was quick to catch his mouth with his own and swallow the noise so the whole house didn't hear him.

"Now...come with me now..." Blaine whispered as Kurt did just that, in such high intensity that he was shaking when it was all over. Blaine, too, had felt that final burst that couldn't be taken back, and so he rode it out until the two of them were shaking and sore.

Twenty minutes later they were clean and sleepy and back in bed, sharing the same pillow, wrapped together in a warm nest of blankets, and sound asleep for another five hours.


	13. Chapter 13 - Back To School

The house was decorated with banners welcoming Kurt back home. He and Blaine had been gone most of the day: a little shopping, a walk in the park, and lunch at Kurt's favorite Chinese restaurant. Coming home, he knew his friends were decorating his house, and he thought it couldn't be too bad – though he didn't like them making such a fuss over him.

Blaine was better after last night, but still somewhat clingy – Kurt didn't let it bother him, he liked having his boyfriend hugging and touching him. He was even bold enough to kiss Blaine in the parking lot of the doctor's office where he had an appointment to get his flu shot. Burt insisted that Blaine get one, too, since he was used to being isolated and was now exposed to so many people.

It was a moment between the boys when they went in, as Kurt asked Blaine to stay in the same exam room with him instead of separate ones. Blaine thought this was curious but went with it – and kidded that he would love to 'play doctor' with Kurt. When Nurse Kelly came in to give them their shots, Blaine found out why Kurt had asked him to stay – Kurt was terrified of needles. He held on to Blaine for dear life, closing his eyes and shaking all over.

"It's okay, Kurt, it's just a vaccine. It will be over before you know it. Here, I'll even go first," Blaine tried to calm him, tipping Kurt's chin up to capture his attention with a small kiss before the nurse started.

"I'm okay, I just really hate needles. I know in my mind that it's not a big deal, but I can't help being so scared," Kurt confessed, gripping Blaine's bicep as he tried in vain to relax.

Nurse Kelly knew about Kurt's fear, she had known Kurt since he was a little boy and knew the fear of needles came when his mother had spent so much time in hospital at the end of her life. They had to give her IVs and do other frightening things to her and Kurt had been there to see it all. Nurse Kelly tried to calm Kurt when he had to have a shot and was really glad Kurt now had Blaine to cling to. She had always liked Kurt and wanted the best for him.

"Kurt, honey, I'll do my best to make it as quick and painless as possible, okay? I'll even do your friend first since he's getting six shots today," she said and Kurt's eyes go big.

"Six? Why?" he didn't want Blaine to be tortured.

"I haven't ever had any booster shots, even as a kid, so your dad wanted me to get them all and Cooper agreed. Don't worry, I'm not scared of needles at all. Just don't look," Blaine said and Kurt cringed.

The nurse was as good as her word and got Blaine's all done in just a few minutes, then got Kurt's ready.

"C'mere, baby, I'll hold you," Blaine offered. Kurt was a little worried about what the nurse might say, but she just smiled encouragement at the boys. Blaine gathered Kurt in his arms, scooping him into his lap and cupping his boyfriend's head to his shoulder so he couldn't see the needle. It was over in seconds, but Kurt still shook for a while afterwards.

"All over, honey," Nurse Kelly comforted Kurt. "Don't be worried about your fear – everyone has fears, Kurt. I'm terrified of bees and wasps. Just let Blaine hug you for a minute and you'll be okay."

"Thank you, Nurse Kelly, you didn't hurt me, you know. I'm just scared," Kurt tried to thank her.

"I'm glad you're home again, Kurt. Really glad," and she gave him a hug before she left the room, Kurt still in Blaine's embrace.

The boys walked into the Hummel house, Blaine a little bit behind Kurt. They were met with a sea of people, arms outstretched to hug Kurt and draw him into their circle. It seemed as if everyone needed to put their hands on him to make sure he was real, that the missing piece of their lives had indeed returned to them. Like most things in life, they didn't realize how important Kurt was to them until he had been taken away, and the hole that was left wasn't something they could just get over.

"My Prancing Pony!" Santana cooed, snuggling into Kurt's arms and surprising him with tears as she kissed him tenderly. Blaine's eyes got huge and he moved closer to Kurt, taking his arm to hold in a show of jealousy. Santana just gave him a haughty look and blinked her eyes.

Well, the kiss didn't surprise Kurt coming from Santana as much as her kind words did. He jumped back, not sure he wanted her lips on his considering the sheer amount of lips that she'd had pressed to hers over the years.

"Satan...hey, are you okay?" he was starting to worry, she was never this sentimental - ever.

"Yeah, just didn't like it that you left, Twinkle Tushie. I had to pick on Sam because you weren't there to tease," she scoffed, sounding more like herself and Kurt hugged her once again before she pushed him away and stalked across the room to put her arms around Brittany.

"Prancing Pony?" Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear.

"Yeah, that's her affectionate name for me...when she's not calling me Lady Lips, Porcelain, or something else homophobic. It's just her way...she's kind of unique," Kurt hastily explained, although it would take more than a whispered line to explain Santana to anyone.

"Hummel!" Kurt just had time to brace himself before he was hit by a large guy who picked him up and twirled him around helplessly. He was set back on his feet to recover for an instant before the burly arms hugged him again.

"Puck...I missed you. I know a place you could get a job to use some of that muscle," Kurt grinned, imagining Puck as a lumberjack.

It didn't seem likely that Puck was going to let go of Kurt anytime soon and Blaine was getting a bit jealous. He came up to the pair and set a hand on Puck's bicep.

"I know we haven't met, but I'm Blaine, and I'd appreciate it if you would put my boyfriend down and quit touching him."

Puck stepped back and the room held their collective breath.

"Hey, Noah, let me go. Blaine..." Kurt started to say, but Puck interrupted him.

"No, it's okay, Kurt. So, you went across the whole country to bring home this? This...Hobbit?" Puck laughed, giving Blaine a soft punch in the shoulder. He towered over the curly-haired boy, but backed off nonetheless, ruffling his curls as he went.

"Good to see you back, Kurt," Puck said, going back to talk to Quinn.

Finn was starting to worry, maybe he should have had them come over a few at a time, he didn't want to overwhelm his brother when he just got back. He went to stand closer to him, his looks warning the others to give Kurt a little more space for now.

The people parted and Kurt was allowed to go and sit where his friends came up to talk to him in a much more relaxed way and he heaved a sigh of relief. They had all been asked not to bother Kurt with questions about his abduction and time in the logging camp, but they were all eager to hear the whole tale. After Kurt greeted everyone and introduced Blaine, Finn stood up.

"I have talked this over with my brother and if you'd all like to have a seat, he'll tell you the whole story of what happened. I thought it might be hard for him to keep repeating it over and over to each person, so we agreed to have you all here so wild rumors wouldn't start from having partial stories and innuendos floating around. Please hold your questions for after..it's a long story. Kurt?" Finn said, acting as Master of Ceremonies. Kurt grinned at him, liking the way he now took charge of things.

"As you all know, I was singing at the Fall Festival School Dance. Instead of having Finn take me home, I told him to go ahead with Rachel and I would drive myself. I waited too long for the parking lot to empty and when I thought I was alone to walk to my car, I felt a sharp pain to my head," Kurt started, subconsciously grasping Blaine's hand as he detailed the attack and the train ride, waking up in the logging camp. He told them about how Blaine had taken care of him, teaching him how to snare rabbits, tie flies, gut fish. There were more than one raised eyebrow at his telling of the story, his reputation of being so fastidious made the vision of him gutting a rabbit a little hard to imagine.

Kurt went on to tell them about all that had befallen him, but not the intimate relationship between himself and Blaine. It sounded like something that they would see in a movie, not something that would happen to one of their own from Lima, Ohio. By the time he was done telling of the helicopter ride home, many of his friend were blinking back tears. Mercedes, sitting on the other side of him, put out her arms and he fell into them as she kissed the top of his head. But he never let go of Blaine's hand.

When it was clear the story was over, the guests got up and mingled once again, some coming to talk to Kurt, to meet Blaine, to ask if they could help or express how thankful they were that Kurt was home with them once again.

"Welcome home, Kurt," Tina said in her soft voice, smiling at him.

"Thank you,Tina, it's good to be here. I'd like to introduce my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson."

Tina shook his hand and they started a conversation about what the New Directions were planning for their next competition. Several people had expressed how much Kurt's voice was missed and he was beginning to believe it a little. He had always felt like the odd man out when it came to singing with the group, could he be wrong?

"You should hear Blaine! I think he'd be an excellent addition to New Directions," Kurt said.

"Wait...Nude Erections? What?" Blaine blurted out, causing several people close by to laugh.

"No.. -rec-tions." Kurt enunciated for Blaine, making him laugh at his misunderstanding. "It's our show choir. I'm hoping you might like to try out for it."

"Oh, I don't know if my voice is good enough," Blaine said, a little apprehensive.

"Nonsense, we let everyone in, we just make them audition first," Artie said, wheeling up and putting out his hand to shake Blaine's. "I'm Artie Abrams, pleased to meet you."

After that, several people wanted to sing and they dusted off the piano in the corner to accompany them.

"Can I play?" Blaine asked.

"I didn't know you played the piano, of course you can, help yourself," Kurt grinned, interested to find out something new about his boyfriend.

Blaine went over to the piano and sat down. He did a scale to warm up for a minute then launched into a song.

So this is what you meant  
When you said that you were spent  
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit  
Right to the top  
Don't hold back  
Packing my bags and giving the academy a rain check

I don't ever wanna let you down  
I don't ever wanna leave this town  
'Cause after all  
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?  
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit  
I'm just the same as I was  
Now don't you understand  
That I'm never changing who I am

So this is where you fell  
And I am left to sail  
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell  
Right to the top  
Don't look back  
Turning the rags and giving the commodities a rain check

I don't ever wanna let you down  
I don't ever wanna leave this town  
'Cause after all  
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?  
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit  
I'm just the same as I was  
Now don't you understand  
That I'm never changing who I am

It's time to begin, isn't it?  
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit  
I'm just the same as I was  
Now don't you understand  
That I'm never changing who I am

This road never looked so lonely  
This house doesn't burn down slowly  
To ashes, to ashes

It's time to begin, isn't it?  
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit  
I'm just the same as I was  
Now don't you understand  
That I'm never changing who I am

Blaine finished, grinning because everyone had joined in with him. Kurt was looking at him with that adorable smile, which sent a warm glow flushing through Blaine's body. Everyone clapped and cheered, Rachel coming to hug Blaine.

"You are in, you are so in..." she crowed. "You can sing a duet with me for Sectionals, and.."

"Hey, Rachel, no. Just no. He's singing with me," Kurt interjected, causing her to frown at her friend.

"Let it go, we'll decide that at school. In the mean time, let's have another song," Finn said, taking Rachel's hand and tentatively guiding her to another part of the room.

"Where did you hear that song – or learn to play piano for that matter?" Kurt asked, curious.

"Oh, Lenore's mother taught us. There's a piano at her house and Mrs. Warner let me use it. She had been a piano teacher before she married Mr. Warner. And the song? Lenore has satellite radio, we used to listen to it when we spent time together. I heard that song on the radio and well, it's hard to describe. I taught myself to hear the notes in my head, kind of," Blaine shrugged at Kurt. "I really like Imagine Dragons."

"Oh, play a slow song, let's dance!" Brittany said from across the room and Puck went to the piano to play, Lauren sitting down next to him. Quinn sang this time as the guests paired up and Kurt turned the lights down. They danced and swayed in the small space, not really needing more room. Lauren took over playing and Blaine held out his hand to Kurt and slid his arms around Kurt's body when he stepped closer. They danced so close to each other, it garnered quite a few second looks, the New Directions were not used to seeing Kurt so close to another boy. More than one of his friend thought it was about time Kurt had some of the good things in life, and they smiled at the couple as they swayed in place, eyes closed and breathing the same air. Blaine kissed Kurt on his neck and Mercedes sighed at the romance of it all.

The party went on for several more hours, everyone dancing and singing, getting back in touch with Kurt, and meeting Blaine. By the end, Kurt was relaxed and happy to see his friends once again, all the anxiety leading up to the party was gone now.

Kurt walked outside and shook hands with Mike, the last of the guests to leave. Going back inside, he saw Finn across the room, starting to clean up by gathering the used cups sitting on all the tables. Wanting to help, Kurt leaned over to grab a couple and put them in the plastic trash bag Finn was carrying.

"Hey, you were the guest of honor, you don't have to clean up. I've got this, and Rachel offered to come tomorrow to help me," Finn protested.

"I don't mind. I just wanted to thank you, Finn. That was a wonderful party, and it was good to see all my friends again," Kurt said with all seriousness. He was continually amazed at the changes in Finn since they came back. Kurt had left behind a slightly awkward, sweet but goofy kid and came home to a caring and more serious brother.

"Go ahead to bed, Dude, I think Blaine is waiting for you. I know you'll need your rest for tomorrow – first day back at school? It might be kind of rough. I'll be there if you need me, Kurt. Just let me know," Finn said, patting Kurt on the back and pushing him toward the basement stairs.

"Good night, Finn," Kurt said, smiling a this brother before going down the stairs, two at a time.

"Mr. Hummel, we have all of the relevant paperwork. I will just go and get the schedule for Mr. Anderson and you can direct him to his first class," Principal Figgins said, his face never breaking a smile. He didn't like complications and Blaine Anderson was a complication. He came back with a printout of Blaine's schedule and handed it to him, dismissing the two boys.

Kurt went first, slowing down in the outer office to wink at Lauren Zizes, glad she was working in the office this morning. Lauren was an interesting friend to have; she and Kurt had done a few projects together and he knew he could count on her to smooth Blaine's introduction to high school. She had put Blaine in all of Kurt's classes but one – French – but managed to get him in a gym class with Finn that hour. Lauren had even gotten Blaine a locker near Kurt's in the front hallway.

"What's first on the agenda?" Blaine asked, eager to sit in a classroom for the first time in his life.

"AP American History. Do you know a lot about history? We're doing the Battle of Saratoga right now," Kurt said as they rounded a corner to the hallway leading to the history classroom.

"I know a little. I love to read, and I love history, so.." he smiled at Kurt, not sure if he could sneak a small kiss to the dimple beside his mouth. He looked at the crowded corridor and decided to wait until later.

They entered the classroom and eyes followed them as Kurt led the way to the middle row of desks, indicating to Blaine where he should sit, then sat down next to him. A few students waved at Kurt, smiling because they had heard the story and were glad to have him back. At the back of the room, Dave Karofsky sat, looking at the cause of all the trouble in his life. He had been at the dance the night of the attack on Kurt, although he hadn't struck him, and so far he hadn't been interviewed by the police. His three best friends, Azimio, Rick, and Mason were being held in jail for attempted murder with the label of a hate crime until the trial, and it didn't look good for them. Now here was Kurt, prancing into the classroom like he deserved to be here. And he had this new kid with him..Blake or something and the rumors said this kid was going to be a witness of some sort. Dave knew he had to do something, he just hadn't decided what that something was. In the mean time, he was going to be watching Hummel closely.

The day went quickly, people Kurt hardly knew coming up to speak to him or tell him they were glad he was okay. It was surreal. What he wasn't surprised about were the whispers and strange looks that followed him down every hallway. He walked with Blaine, but they didn't touch or flirt. That in itself felt a little strange because since they had met, Kurt had gotten used to Blaine touching him all the time. It was almost like a piece of him was missing when he didn't get to hold Blaine's hand. He could feel how much Blaine wanted to touch him, too. Blaine was doing well, all things considered, but Kurt could feel his stress. He decided he had to do something by fourth period, so he led Blaine down the hallway to the offices and around a corner.

The school nurse had resigned last semester and Principal Figgins had yet to hire a new one, so her office was vacant and Kurt had the key. Lauren was a very useful friend to have and when the bullying and slushie facials had gotten worse, Lauren gave him the key so he could stash some extra clothes and face products in the room. This office had an added bonus: while all of the other administrative offices had glass walls, this one didn't. It was at the back of the school and only had one small window of frosted glass.

Kurt led Blaine to the door, his hand shaking as he inserted the key in the lock, then tugging Blaine in after him as he turned the lock from the inside. Safe.

Blaine knew immediately what was going on and took Kurt in his arms, holding him tightly and letting his mouth connect with Kurt's in a sizzling kiss born of the frustrations of the morning. He pulled back a little, realizing he was being too rough, though Kurt didn't object, and started again, gently touching his lips to Kurt's and enjoying the warmth and smoothness of his boyfriend's mouth. They sighed into each other, the close contact relieving the tight muscles.

"Blaine, I have wanted to do this all day. I want to hold you and touch you, and just look at you...oh, Blaine...you take my breath away," Kurt said into Blaine's hair as he stroked his face and carded his fingers through his hair.

"No more than I have, Kurt. It's hard to be here," Blaine complained. Kurt's hand found the outline of Blaine's erection through his jeans.

"Yes, I see...very hard..." Kurt giggled and Blaine joined him.

"That is NOT what I meant, Kurt Hummel, and you know it but I'm not objecting if you want to...ah.." Blaine flirted, running a hand down Kurt's chest, rubbing against his nipple as he went.

Kurt gasped, he was much more excited than he had originally thought.

"We can't do that here, Blaine, we have to get to class. Someone might come in," Kurt whispered.

"But you locked the door. How many people have the key to this office?" Blaine asked.

"Ah, just me. Lauren changed the locks when she gave me the key," Kurt said.

Blaine got a big smile on his face, and he decided not to argue with Kurt any more. Kurt loved to argue, but that was just wasting time right now. He could tell the teacher of the next class that he had to stop in the office or something.

"Kurt, c'mere," Blaine whispered in his boyfriend's ear, moving his hands to Kurt's jeans and skimming his fingers over the bulge he found there. Kurt gasped again, then gave in to his inner horny teenager and returned the favor. It was only a few moments before they had their jeans down to their knees and were rutting against each other, mouths connecting and arms holding tight.

"Ah..ah...ohhh..Blaine..." Kurt was whimpering as he got warmer and more anxious. He suddenly had to have more and although they had only done this once, Kurt was on his knees and pushing his lips over the head of Blaine's cock. He licked down the front, cupping Blaine's balls and gently rocking his hand in rhythm as he pushed his mouth over the crown one more time, his tongue massaging under the foreskin and around the ridge he found there.

Blaine was leaning back on the desk, his knees giving out in his pleasure, as he held on to Kurt's hair. A deep guttural moan escaped his lips, but he checked it before it got too loud.

"Kurt..ohhhh..that feels so good, baby, you're so goood...Hngh...don't stop...oh..." Blaine went on and on, trying his best to keep the noise down, but the suddenness of Kurt's actions had taken him by surprise and he was not prepared for this. He was dizzy and he wanted to buck forward, but was afraid of hurting Kurt, so he moved his hands, gripped the desk behind him, and held on for dear life.

Kurt felt Blaine getting harder, felt him start to tremble and he pulled back.

"Come for me, baby...please, come for me..." Kurt whispered in his lowest voice, almost a growl and opened his mouth to swallow Blaine's cock as far as he could, his hand around the rest of it, a gentle rhythm reestablished before Blaine was telling Kurt it was coming, don't stop, and Kurt hummed his acknowledgement. The vibration was all Blaine needed and he felt the heat flowing, felt the amazing sear of his orgasm as he looked down to see Kurt's deep blue eyes looking back at him and closing to concentrate as he helped Blaine through the hottest climax he could imagine.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt...I ..I ...oh, god...thank you.." Blaine wasn't yet in control of his senses, but he knew he needed to be holding Kurt. He pulled him up, holding him close to his chest, kissing him and whispering his thanks and his love until Kurt put his hands on Blaine's chest.

"Calm down, we need to go to class. Let's get you back together now," Kurt said as he hauled his jeans back up, buttoning them and tucking in his shirt.

"No! Kurt, what about you – we can't go back to class if I haven't done the same for you!" Blaine whisper-shouted, grabbing at Kurt's shirt to try and pull it back out of his trousers.

"We have to get to class. I'm okay for now, Blaine, just think how much better I'll feel if I have to wait. Okay?" Kurt explained. Blaine didn't look convinced, but there was little he could do about it.

Lucky for Kurt, he'd worn a loose cardigan over his shirt so nothing showed to the casual observer. Blaine went to the sink and took a handful of water to rinse himself off a bit before pulling up his briefs and jeans, smiling at Kurt over his shoulder. Kurt smiled back, coming to rinse his mouth a bit before checking to see that they both looked presentable before listening a the door to make sure nobody was in the hallway.

Resuming their distance, Kurt and Blaine walked to their math class, not touching, but exchanging smiles. Unfortunately, they ran into someone rushing to his chemistry class the other direction. Karofsky threw a shoulder into Kurt's chest as he rushed by, throwing Kurt into a locker with a solid bang.

"Watch where you're walking, pussy girl," Dave shouted as he continued down the hall. Kurt sat for a moment, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him.

"What the hell?" Blaine shouted, undecided for a second whether to take care of Kurt or to follow the bully down the hall.

"Kurt? Are you okay?" Blaine asked as he crashed to his knees beside Kurt and put a hand on his shoulder. There was nobody else in the hallway, so he leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Can you get up?"

"Yeah, I've had worse. He must have been in a hurry because he usually calculates his hits better. I don't think he even gave me much of a bruise with that one, he's getting soft in his old age," Kurt spat out with the appropriate amount of sarcasm.

"Here let me help you," Blaine said as he put a hand under Kurt's arms and got him to his feet. Kurt brushed himself off and picked up his scattered books.

"I'm fine, let's get to class," he said, hurrying down the corridor.

After math, Kurt and Blaine caught up with Finn and they walked to the lunchroom. They bought lunch and sat at their usual table, mostly Glee kids and a few others. Blaine grinned at the people he had met at the party last night and Santana sat down beside him on the opposite side from Kurt.

"Oh...the Hobbit's been having his way with our Prancing Pony," she smiled, wrinkling her nose as she sniffed the air. Blaine sent a panicked look to Kurt as he moved a little bit away from Santana on the bench. Kurt, eyes wide, just shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" Blaine squeaked and Brittany giggled.

"Santana always knows..." she looked Blaine in the eye, then winked.

"Well please hush up, before anyone else hears you," he whisper shouted as he looked at Santana with pleading eyes, but she just looked bored and turned to talk to Sam across the table from her.

The boys ate in silence, touching knees under the table as Tina and Mike talked about a dance step they were perfecting for Glee. After lunch, Finn offered to walk with Blaine to show him the gym while Kurt hurried off down the hall to French class.

"What's the queer doing in our locker room? Hey, the girl's locker room is next door, homo.." Dave shouted as soon as he saw Blaine entering the shower room with Finn.

"Shut up, Karofsky, or go pound sand in a hole," Puck said, coming up behind Finn. "He isn't bothering you, leave him alone."

Dave just turned and walked off. He wasn't in this class, he was just changing from his lunchtime workout.

"Don't worry, Blaine, we've got your back," Puck said, hitting him in the shoulder lightly, then giving him a fist bump.

They walked into the gym where they were playing basketball. Blaine was probably too short to be much of a threat, but he was game and gave the other guys a workout whenever he could get the ball.

"Last class of the day, Blaine. Glee." Finn said, walking down the hall with Blaine after gym.

"That's good. I've had about enough for one day. What do you know about that big guy named Karofsky?" Blaine asked.

"He's on the football team, and he's probably Kurt's biggest problem at this school. He wasn't arrested for the incident with Kurt, but the three guys that are his best friends were . I'm willing to bet Dave has something to do with it. Why? Just that incident in the locker room?" Finn asked.

"No, he hit Kurt in the hallway and Kurt went flying into a locker. He's okay, but it looks like he'll have a couple of bruises from it," Blaine said, concerned for his boyfriend.

"Unfortunately, that's nothing new, most kids here have some sort of bullying issue – whether the kid is the victim or the perpetrator. It's a cycle and unless we can do something to break that cycle, it won't stop. I've been reading a lot about it since Kurt was abducted. Did you do anything when Kurt got thrown?" Blaine just looked miserable

"No, I was too concerned about Kurt. I stayed with him and the guy, Dave, took off. By the time I could have caught up, well, let's just say it was useless. I had no idea of where to look for him, or if he was even still here..."

"He'll show up again, Blaine. He goes to school here. He doesn't miss much school, even though he'd like people to think he's a popular stud with the football team and skips classes. He's just a phony," Finn said. "Here's the choir room, let's go in and I'll introduce you to Mr Scheuster." Finn waved Blaine to go ahead of him and then followed Blaine into the room. Rachel saw them enter and came barreling down the risers to put her arms around Blaine, whispering into his ear that she wanted him to do a duet with her.

Blaine sat down next to Finn to wait for Mr. Schue and Kurt. Santana came and sat behind him, caressing his neck as she walked by. Brittany was right behind her, skipping in with a bright smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye as she waved hello to Blaine and sat by Santana.

Rachel sat on the other side, so she could talk in his ear about the duet, suggesting titles of songs they could do, most of which Blaine had never heard of. Plus, he only wanted to sing with Kurt. Mr. Schue came in, his arms stacked with papers and set them down to look up at the class and spotted Blaine.

"Well, a new recruit?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Schue, and I want to suggest some songs we could sing..." Rachel started, but Santana kicked her chair and Rachel stumbled, sitting down hard in her chair and looking around to see who had done it. She looked at Santana, who waved a finger at her to stop.

Blaine was watching all of this unfold when he noticed Finn looking at the door, so he followed Finn's line of sight and saw Kurt standing there, fists on his hips and glaring at Rachel. No words were spoken aloud, but Rachel got up from the chair quickly and moved to the chair on the other side of Finn, a chagrined look on her face.

Kurt smiled to himself and strolled over to sit next to Blaine, scooting his chair a little closer so he could pull his boyfriend into his side and threw an arm around him. Blaine startled, knowing they had to be careful.

Santana saw his reaction and leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "We don't need to worry in this room, Hobbit. Okay? We're all cool in here."

Blaine let out a sigh of relief and smiled back at Santana, winking.

Kurt tangled his fingers with Blaine's and sat back, contented.

Mr. Schue nodded at Blaine, "Would you like to come forward and introduce yourself?"

Blaine walked to the front of the classroom. He'd met almost all of the kids in the room that were sitting in the chairs. He glanced over at the kids playing musical instruments, but nobody said anything. Strange.

"I'm Blaine Anderson and I am from Oregon. If it's okay with you, Mr. Scheuster, I'd like to sing my audition song now?"

"Of course, Blaine. Just tell Brad what to play," Mr. Schue said.

"Oh...I, ah...I can play for myself if that's okay," he said. Mr. Schue nodded and Brad got up, mumbling about going to get coffee and rolling his eyes.

Blaine sat down at the piano and touched the keys, not warming up or anything, just playing the song. He played a short introduction and then he began to sing:

Ohhh, baby boy, where you at?  
Got no strings, got men attached  
Can't stop that feelin' for long, no  
Mmm, you makin' dogs wanna beg  
Breakin' them off your fancy legs  
But they make you feel right at home, now

Ohhh, see all these illusions just take us too long  
And I want it bad...  
Because you walk pretty, because you talk pretty  
'Cause you make me sick, and I'm not leavin' till you're leavin'

Oh, I swear there's something when he's pumpin', askin' for a raise  
Well does he want me to carry him home now?  
So does he want me to buy him things?  
On my house, on my job  
On my loot, shoes, my shirt, my crew, my mind  
My father's last name?

When I get you alone  
When I get you you'll know, babe  
When I get you alone  
When I get you alone

Oh, come on  
Yeah, yeah

Baby boy you da sh...  
That makes you my equivalent  
Well you can keep your toys in the drawer tonight, all right  
All my dawgs talkin' fast:  
Ain't you got some photographs?  
'Cause you shook that room like a star, now  
Yes you did, yes you did

All these intrusions just take us too long  
And I want you so bad...  
Because you walk city, because you talk city  
'Cause you make me sick, and I'm not leavin' till you're leavin'

So I pray to something he aint bluffin', rubbin' up on me  
Well does he want me to make a vow?  
Check it, well does he want me to make it now?  
On my house, on my job  
On my loot, shoes, my voice, my crew, my mind  
My father's last name?

When I get you alone  
When I get you you'll know, babe  
When I get you alone  
When I get you alone

Oohh...  
When I get you alone

The room dissolved in clapping and whoops as the New Directions showed their appreciation for Blaine's voice.

"I think it's safe to say: Welcome to the New Directions, Blaine!" Mr. Scheuster said, grinning. This was a voice he could utilize, and from what he could tell by the way the boy moved as he played, he had enough rhythm to be a decent dancer. This kid's voice would be able to keep up with Rachel when she belted out a Broadway showstopper, and that's what he needed for Regionals. The plans in his head were jumping around and Will could hardly concentrate on the lesson. He finally let the class out early so he could think about how he was going to use Blaine's voice to its fullest potential.

The Glee kids left the choir room, Blaine and Kurt walking together. They were the first ones out of the doors. It seemed no other kids were around as they headed to the Navigator in the parking lot. Several football jocks and a few from the hockey team came out of the doors behind them, walking faster until they were on both sides of the boys. Kurt was so wrapped up in Blaine, at first he didn't notice the jocks until a few more fell into step behind them.

Chills ran up Kurt's spine, and fear sprouted out in the form of beads of sweat on his forehead as he calculated how far it was to his car and if he could unlock it from here. He grasped his keys in his hand and said in a soft voice to Blaine,"Get ready, we're going to have to make a run for it."

Blaine, to his credit, didn't even break stride. He was ready. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he'd seen enough with the payday fights in camp to know that it was something dangerous and he was ready to defend Kurt at any cost.

Behind some bushes and a tree, Dave Karofsky was watching. Kurt continued to walk, steady steps towards the Navigator, Blaine close by his side, testing the damp ground for balance as he walked on.

Suddenly from the doors of the school burst Finn, Mike, Puck, Lauren, Santana, and the rest of the New Directions. The football jocks fell back, still walking but now suddenly headed in other directions.

"Hey, Kurt, wait up, I need a ride home!" Finn called and the heavy feeling in the air was gone. The jocks had gone away and Kurt was safe. As they got into his SUV, Dave Karofsky took one last look at the three boys and turned to go the other direction, towards his car parked on the other side of the school.


	14. Chapter 14 - Next To My Heart

The days began to melt together for Blaine, each one seeming like the last one. He made friends, but was constantly missing the closeness he had shared with Kurt back in Oregon, in spite of the time they spent together now. The difference was that in Oregon, they were alone. In Ohio, they were constantly surrounded by people. Mostly well-meaning people, but people just the same. It was a hard adjustment when Blaine was used to only seeing another person maybe twice in a week.

He didn't mean for it to happen, it just did. The stress that he told himself wasn't there would work it's way into him, seeping into the very pores of his skin, eroding the good feelings he had with Kurt as they walked the halls of McKinley High. Blaine just itched to be gone from the city. Just a few hours away – maybe in a forest or even just a secluded meadow would be enough.

But he was living here as a guest in the Hummel house and his polite upbringing kept him from voicing his need to Kurt.

"Blaine! Dinner time!" Carole shouted out the back door.

"I'll be right there, Carole. Thank you," Blaine called back, irritated that he'd been interrupted while sitting in Kurt's old tree house and watching a bird build its nest. He was beginning to spend a lot of time in the old structure. The Hummels had a large back yard compared to most homes in Lima, and it had a lot of old trees and other wild looking plants as opposed to formal flowerbeds. Kurt told him it was his mother's project the last year of her life since this garden only required some watering and a bit of weeding as compared to a formal one that on this scale would require a part-time gardener.

It was early spring and the buds of the willow tree next to the tree house were beginning to show. Tiny birds were coming out to look for mates and build nests. The smell of spring was in the air, and as cliché as that sounded, it was absolutely true. Blaine took another lungful of the sweet air and though about what that same lungful would smell like in Oregon. He sighed and pushed himself up, climbing down the makeshift ladder to the ground so he could join the Hummel clan for dinner. He hoped it wouldn't be another steamed vegetable meal with no butter or salt.

Blaine felt selfish at the idea of the meal. Burt had a heart condition and Kurt just wanted his father's health to be better, so who was Blaine to complain? Oh, that was a bad combination: homesick, irritated, and now guilty for having opinions. Damn. He was a jovial person by nature, but now he wasn't sure how to get that back. He felt guilty that he'd turned into such a curmudgeon, not sure why Kurt didn't just send him packing...Kurt. Blaine was doing this for him – and he wanted to know if Kurt even appreciated it.

The two boys still sat or walked together, spent an inordinate amount of time together, still kissed and petted and slept tangled together. But something was off, and Blaine wasn't sure what that was. He wanted to talk it over with Kurt, he knew his boyfriend would be receptive of the attempt to solve it, but Blaine wasn't sure what it was that was wrong. He stepped up into the screened porch and into the kitchen, humming a tune as he went. He made his way to the bathroom to wash up for dinner and sat next to Kurt at the table, kissing that dimple beside his boyfriend's mouth. Kurt leaned into the small gesture of affection and his smile got brighter.

"So, Blaine, have you given any thought about what you want to do after you graduate from high school?" Burt asked, giving Blaine a smile to encourage him to talk.

"Maybe college? I haven't given it a lot of thought, really," Blaine said, a worried look on his face. He had thought about it over the past few years, but other than staying in Oregon, there hadn't been more than vague ideas floating in his mind. Perhaps he could box professionally? He was good, and it wouldn't take much to hone his skills into something marketable. But no, that was too risky. He knew people who had been hit too hard - they were not a pretty sight. Blaine enjoyed his brain function, thank you very much. He was frowning in concentration when Fin looked up from the steamed tofu and vegetables with shrimp.

"Just marry Lenore and you can inherit the lumber company, problem solved," he deadpanned; then got a thrill from the gasping he heard across the table from Kurt. Oh, it was so easy to yank Kurt's chain some days. Finn got a huge grin on his face, which was not lost on Burt as the older man put a napkin to his lips to hide the smirk that wouldn't leave.

"What?" Kurt gave his brother that icy bitch-glare he was so famous for, but Finn was so used to being on the receiving end of that he didn't flinch. He remained oblivious to the naked eye, but was giggling like a school girl on the inside.

"Finn!" Carole gasped, not sure if her son had lost his marbles or if he was joking. It could go either way.

Blaine thought Finn was joking, but he wasn't positive, so he tread carefully: "Ah, I've been trying to corner that market for years, I might even have it all stitched up by now. Did you see how upset she was when I left? I'll just go back and sweep her off her feet before she knows what hit her, then I'll be the new CEO of Warner & Anderson Lumber Company. That's the plan," Blaine said, squeezing Kurt's hand and turning to look at him.

By this time, Kurt had figured out Finn's joke and was torn between laughing or being pissed at Blaine for playing along. Blaine winked at him and his heart melted, squeezing his hand back.

The dinner continued, talk going from joking to serious and back again. Blaine really did enjoy being with these kind and loving people, but he was homesick for some solitude.

After dinner, he invited Kurt to walk with him to the park a few blocks away, but Kurt declined his offer because he had promised Mercedes he would call and commiserate with the girl since her boyfriend, Sam, had seemingly lost interest in her. Blaine understood that he had to share Kurt if he was going to have him at all, but sometimes it hurt. Like tonight. So, he decided to walk alone and started to the park in the light drizzle, his jacket pulled up against his ears.

Half an hour later, Blaine had made his way around the park for the third time. He'd stopped several times, once to watch a squirrel and once to speak to a little girl. He was on his way home, but the rain had started in earnest and he was getting chilly. He didn't notice the jocks walking on the other side of the street or the car parked down the road, it's inhabitant watching him.

"Blaine! Where have you been?" Kurt admonished as he came in the door, stopping to shake like a dog to get rainwater off of his clothes.

"Just taking that walk around the park. You were busy, so I went by myself," Blaine told him. But Kurt seemed to be angry at him and his defenses went up.

"That wasn't safe at all. What if you'd have been attacked? You didn't even have your cell phone on you, did you?" Kurt snapped.

"I think so...oh, no, I guess not," Blaine said sheepishly, patting his pockets and not finding the phone.

"Fat lot of good that cell will do you sitting on the dining room table if you need me. Damn it, Blaine, use your head!" Kurt almost shouted, clearly upset.

"Calm the fuck down, Kurt. I've been walking alone in the wilderness for sixteen years, I think I know how to take care of myself. So, back off." And Blaine stomped down the stairs to change into something dry and warm. He was so disheartened after that outburst, he crawled up on the bed to rest for a while before time to go to sleep. He lay in the bed, exhausted for no reason except maybe stress, and the angry, hot tears began to flow down his face. He blinked them away, then had to reach for his handkerchief when things got out of hand. Normally, a hugging session with Kurt would be what he needed, but not this time.

Blaine got out the cell phone Kurt had practically thrown at him on his way downstairs earlier. He called Brayden Warner.

"Hello? Warner Lumber Company, Lenore speaking," the familiar voice came across the phone clearly.

"Hey, Lenore. It's..."

"I know who you are, Blaine Anderson! How are you? You sound like something's wrong," her voice filled with concern.

"No, I just..well, yes...but...oh, shit." Blaine babbled, not being prepared to speak to Lenore about this problem.

"Oh, Blaine. Calm down and tell me, I'm here to listen," She cooed in the phone, hating to hear Blaine so broken. "Is it Kurt?"

"Yes and no. I am just so tired and grumpy, I don't know what to do. I'm here with the person I love more than anything in this whole world, but I'm afraid to tell him what I'm thinking...then I'm feeling guilty and I can't tell him that, either.

"Aw, Blaine. I think you're just homesick. Here, hold on a minute," Lenore asked. She got up from her father's desk and walked to the yard in front of the office where men were working on the large equipment. She saw August and waved for him to come closer. He walked over, eyebrows raised as Lenore mouthed, "Where's Cooper?"

A few minutes later, Cooper came up to her.

"Okay, Blaine, here's someone that I think can help," she said into the sat phone and handed it to Cooper.

"Hello?"

"Cooper! Oh, I miss you!"

"Squirt! How are things in the big city?" Cooper's eyes gleamed, he was so happy to talk to his brother because he had missed him so much.

They talked for almost an hour when Blaine thought he better go. Sat phone rates were expensive and he didn't want to take advantage of Mr Warner's generosity.

"Okay, Squirt. I am so sorry things are rough for you just now. But keep your chin up. You said the trial is next month? You coming home after that?" Cooper asked, anxious to be reunited with his baby brother.

"Probably. I just don't know yet. I miss you and the camp, but I kind of want to finish this year of high school, you know? It might be valuable in the future to say I graduated from a school instead of home schooled."

"You know that wouldn't be an issue, don't you? All Ivy League colleges accept home schooled students," Cooper informed him.

"Yeah, I know. But this way I'll have the experience of at least a little bit of schooling. I'll even get to go to prom," Blaine argued.

"It's whatever you want, Blainers. Okay?" Cooper gave in.

"Love you, Cooper," Blaine said.

"And I love you, too, kid," Cooper said and hung up.

"Blaine?" Kurt ventured when they had been in bed for several hours. Kurt had come down to the bedroom after dinner and got ready for bed, but the two didn't speak to each other. The silence got heavy, and it seemed colder in the room because they weren't even touching. It was past midnight, but Kurt knew by his restless squirming that Blaine was still awake.

"Yeah?"

"Are we fighting?" Kurt asked in a small voice, afraid of the answer.

"No. I mean, not over anything we did. I don't know...I'm not mad at you if that's what you mean," Blaine said, not sure how to describe the feelings that were coursing through him.

"I'm not mad at you, either, Blaine. I just think there's something wrong and I can't figure it out. I'm sorry. Just tell me if there's anything I can do. In the mean time, can you hold me?" Kurt said with sadness in his voice.

"Always, baby," Blaine cooed, taking Kurt into his embrace and kissing his temple. "Maybe it's the stress of the trial. It's coming up pretty fast, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But we can't let it take what we have away -because if it does, they win," Kurt said in a small, lost voice.

"We won't let them. You're a fighter, Kurt, and you'll win," Blaine said, believing it.

He held on to Kurt for dear life, wrapping himself around the boy he loved with all his heart before falling asleep.

It was another stress filled day at McKinley. Some of the football jocks, Craig and Roger and a few others, were walking down the corridor and spotted Kurt and Blaine walking ahead of them. At the next moment, several other jocks – hockey players Les and Boyd - came around the corner in front of the boys and they were trapped in the small hallway, nowhere to run. Kurt had his fingers on his phone in his pocket and was dialing his brother. He hoped Finn had his phone on because the bell wouldn't ring for a few minutes, he prayed Finn was close by. It rang as the jocks behind Kurt started walking faster and Finn picked up right away. Kurt whispered his location and then looked for ways to get away. Going into a classroom would be foolish, they could get trapped in there. He let go of Blaine's hand and moved so they were back to back. Blaine's eyes searching to see who was positioned where so he could defend himself and Kurt to the best of his ability.

Just as they were closing in, Coach Sylvester walked out of a classroom, hands on hips as she growled her anger. Finn, Mike, and Santana rounded the far hallway corner and Puck showed up at the other end of the hall with Lauren. The jocks scattered. They could be a force to reckon with, but no match for Coach Sue and Finn. While Kurt and Blaine were grateful, it just stuck in Blaine's craw that he could not protect Kurt himself. One more reason for his depression. He thanked the people who came to their distress call, and wondered how Sue knew (she had, of course, disappeared again now), but he was unenthusiastic at best.

Down the hall, Dave Karofsky lurked in the doorway of an empty classroom, watching.

After school, Kurt and Blaine rode home with Finn, more stressed than ever. They had been meeting with District Attorney Lopez who was directing the prosecution of the three boys charged with attempted murder. She was really working hard to make these charges stick, wanting there to be a lesson learned from all this and a message sent out that hate crimes would not be tolerated in Lima, Ohio. She had a vested interest because her own daughter was a lesbian and she wanted her daughter's future to be as bright as anyone else's. She just wanted to make the playing field level.

Blaine had been asked to give an affidavit about how Kurt looked when he had been taken off the train in Oregon, and Blaine complied to the best of his ability. In addition to supplying this damaging paper, Blaine would be available for cross examination. He was a bit nervous, but all he had to do was tell the truth. He was ready.

Kurt would be called because if the prosecution didn't, the defense certainly would, and DA Lopez wanted to ask those questions in a certain way so as not to distort the things he said.

The boys had made up after their disagreement last week, but the hurt underneath was still simmering because they really hadn't been able to think of any means to relieve it. So, temper were on edge as they went home. It was Friday Night Supper in the Hummel household, a sacred meal that you could not miss unless you were in the hospital with a heart attack.

Blaine had offered to cook dinner, and Kurt was Sancho Panza to Blaine's Don Quixote – they began to sing as they cooked:

_Oh the trumpets of glory  
Now call me to ride,  
Yes, the trumpets are calling to me,  
And wherever I ride,  
Ever staunch at my side  
My squire and my lady shall be!  
I am I, Don Quixote._

Blaine giggled.

"I love that music..and I'm always ready to be by your side, Kurt.

_I am I, Don Quixote, The Lord of la Mancha  
Our destiny calls and we go!  
And the wild winds of fortune Shall carry us onward,  
Oh, whithersoever they blow  
Onward to glory I... go... _

They went in to dinner together, carrying the plates and things: roast chicken with wild rice and Brussels sprouts with chestnuts. They had even made cinnamon rolls for tomorrow's breakfast. Spending the afternoon in quiet companionship was balm to both of them, and the special warmth between them permeated the whole house that evening.

After a pleasant dinner, they all played a game of Pinochle, Burt and Blaine against Kurt and Finn while Carole sat nearby reading a book and occasionally getting up to walk over and watch the game. She laid a kiss on Burt's bald head, enjoying the smile he gave her in return. Burt and Blaine won. They played another game and Blaine and Finn won against Burt and Kurt, making Blaine the overall winner for the evening. They all ate small bowls of frozen yogurt before going their separate ways to bed.

Down in the basement, Kurt was taking off his clothes and getting ready to get into bed. He was suddenly aware that he had worn the same outfit twice this week. The red skinny jeans with a silk shirt that had a pattern embossed on the fabric, the black vest with a watch chain closure and a red and black striped tie. What the hell? The old Kurt would never be seen in the same outfit twice, and especially not in the same week. What had happened to his priorities? He sat down to think, and reasoned that maybe there were more important things than if he was wearing Donna Karan. What didn't occur to him was that he had used his fashion to hide behind: if he was wearing four layers of outrageous clothes, people were less likely to see the real him. If they were making fun of what he wore, it didn't touch the real Kurt, his person, so it didn't hurt as much. With Blaine by his side, he didn't care as much what people thought, so the need for hiding in his fashion wasn't there.

Blaine was in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He appeared at the door just as Kurt was sliding off his briefs and got an eyeful of naked boyfriend. He practically purred as he walked across the room to take Kurt into his arms, pulling all that hot skin next to him. While they kissed every day and had their hands on each other frequently, it had been several days since there had been this much skin shared. Kurt was so ready for this.

He twisted his way out of Blaine's grasp, walking over to the bed and sliding under the sheets, then looking back at Blaine in invitation. Blaine didn't have to be asked twice and was beside Kurt in seconds, pasting his bare skin close to his boyfriend's naked torso.

"This is all I need in life, you know..." Blaine whispered to Kurt as he kissed his neck, savoring the soft skin and moving his lips to tickle just that little bit. Kurt shivered and tried to get closer, but he was already as close as they could be without being inside each other. Kurt thought briefly about that...he wanted it, but now was not the time. He wanted that final step to be the best thing that ever happened to both of them, and he was afraid dealing with this level of stress would put a damper on it. Blaine must have thought the same thing because although he was cuddly and bold and sexy, none of it seemed pointed at doing the final act. They were happy with the level of intimacy they had achieved and weren't comfortable moving faster right now.

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered in the dark.

"Yeah?"

"You do know how much it means to me that you're doing this...this whole trial thing, right? Have I told you often enough?" Kurt said with trepidation. He worried because he hated bringing up the trial at all, so maybe he hadn't thanked Blaine as much as he should have.

"I know, and yes you have. I would do anything for you, Kurt. You know that. Plus, it makes it so we have time together. I miss Oregon, so much, but I'd still rather be here with you than there alone again," Blaine said softly, realizing the truth of what he said and feeling guilty he was so homesick when all he wanted was to be with Kurt.

"I have something planned for tomorrow," Kurt said.

"Oh. Well, I guess I could go over to Mike's. He wanted to work on the steps for that dance he was planning for the Michael Jackson song. Maybe we can meet up for dinner after?" Blaine tried hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Blaine? Oh! No, honey. I meant I planned something for the two of us, if you didn't have anything else...but if you already told Mike..." Kurt said, unsure of himself all of a sudden.

"No! I misunderstood. I thought you meant you had plans with somebody else. You know I'd rather be with you!" Blaine hurried to clarify. He turned Kurt over in his arms and kissed him.

"Mmmmmm..." was all Kurt could say, his mouth being too busy to form words.

"Hey, you know that first day of class, when you took us to the empty office and..ah...relieved my anxiety?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, I remember," Kurt grinned. They had been back there several times for impromptu stress relieving kissing, but never what they had done the first day.

"I don't think I ever paid you back, did I?" Blaine asked in an innocent tone, fluttering his eyelashes in an exaggerated attempt to flirt.

"No, no you didn't," Kurt said, the heat already rising in his body, the anticipation tasting so good in his mouth.

Blaine slipped his pajama pants off, then moved over to his naked boyfriend, kissing him deeply for a while, then slid down his body to kiss along his chest to the trail of soft hair on his belly, caressing his hipbones and then his thighs. Kurt was practically purring as Blaine continued, the rhythm of caressing and kissing with wet, open-mouth kisses was like a Bach symphony in Kurt's brain. He knew what was coming next, but he still gasped when Blaine's wet mouth encompassed him all the way. Since when was Blaine able to do that in one swoop? But the thought soon left as the blood rushed out of his head and collected further south on its mission to make everything right in Kurt's world.

Blaine was making that humming, moaning, sexy sound that stirred Kurt's blood and lit the fire in his belly. His eyes were closed to concentrate so as not to miss any touch or feeling he was experiencing – this was mind-blowing that a few minutes ago they were just lounging around in bed, now they were hot and panting and enjoying each other in ways Kurt would only have dreamed of six months ago. And those dreams were never as good as the reality of it.

It was over too quickly, but Kurt could not find it in himself to be disappointed. No, it meant too much to him to trivialize it in any way. He pulled Blaine up so they were kissing again and Blaine's hard shaft was rubbing against Kurt's leg, asking for his turn. Kurt was quick to oblige – turning in the bed to take Blaine into his mouth and try to emulate the deep throat he had just experienced. Kurt seemed to have much more of a gag reflex than Blaine, but he made up for it in pure enthusiasm and energy and it wasn't long before Blaine was whining and calling Kurt's name, throbbing into his mouth and holding on as hard as he could to the boy he loved. Kurt sat up, his mouth tired and swollen, his lips red and moist. Blaine sat up, too, grabbing Kurt by the shoulders to pull him close to kiss once more.

They didn't say anything out loud, they didn't need to, but they fell into a very deep sleep, satisfied that things were okay once again between them, at least for the time being.

"Blaine, wake up, wake up, honey..." Kurt said in his softest voice, nibbling on his boyfriend's ear and tickling his ribs.

"Kurt? What? It's the middle of the night," Blaine complained.

"No, it's five in the morning and you need to get up. C'mere..." he coaxed, trying to tug Blaine into a sitting position.

"What do you want? It's not like we have goats to feed you know. And...it's SATURDAY, so I get to sleep in, right?" Blaine continued, struggling a bit so he could lie back down. Living in the city was making him soft. And he was enjoying every minute of that.

"Trust me, you want to get up. Now, on your feet. It's time to move," Kurt said in a more demanding tone. Blaine stumbled to his feet, shuffling to the bathroom.

He was out in a few minutes, having brushed his teeth and walked to the closet.

"What do you want me to wear?" He called up the stairs.

"I set it all out on the bed," Kurt called back, pouring a cup of tea for Blaine as he finished buttering the toast.

Blaine was upstairs in a few minutes, wearing his jeans and flannel shirt that he brought from Oregon. Kurt was dressed the same. Blaine's eyebrows raised, but he didn't ask any questions, he knew Kurt would tell him where they were going when he wanted to and not a minute before.

They ate their breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, washing it down with hot tea. Blaine was trying to break Kurt of the bad habit of drinking coffee several times a day, and Kurt was trying to cooperate. Kurt had been pleasantly surprised to find goat milk at the grocery store and he poured a cup for each of them, and although it didn't taste the same as Betsy and Bossy's contribution, he preferred it to cow's milk.

The dishes washed and put away, the boys were out the door and into the Navigator.

"Any hints as to where we're going?" Blaine asked, but Kurt just smiled.

They drove for over an hour, the countryside showing all the best signs of spring, budding trees, bright green showing in the meadows and fields they passed. After a while the landscape changed and there were more trees, less houses and Kurt turned onto a less traveled road, winding into a forest of hardwood trees: maples, beeches, elm, chestnut, and ash. He was going uphill, into the low hills in northern Ohio. He stopped at a small store at the side of the road and they got juice to drink the rest of the way.

Finally, Kurt turned into a private road, got out and took a key out of his pocket, unlocked the gate and opened it, then drove through and locked it behind them. There was no sign to tell them where they were, but Kurt seemed confident, so Blaine just smiled and enjoyed the ride.

Down a long drive, screened from the road by trees everywhere, they came around a turn and there was a house. A log house and just beyond the house was a large lake, fire-blue in the sunshine. Kurt parked the Navigator and got out, stretching his arms wide and yawning.

Blaine got out, too, and did the same thing.

"Care to tell me where we are?" Blaine asked, looking around and marveling at the lack of city sounds. The silence was absolutely golden. He stood still, listening. He could hear birds in the far trees, but the ones close had quit making noise when the boys got out of the car. He could hear the water in the lake, lapping at the shore and the wind in the trees.

"Oh, my god, Kurt. You brought me to heaven," Blaine said, rushing to put his arms around his boyfriend in gratitude.

"As close as I could get it," Kurt murmured into Blaine's hair as he kissed the top of his head.

"But...where are we?"

"This lake house is where I spent many a summer with my best friend and her family. Mercedes' parents own this house and they were kind enough to loan it to me for the week. We are alone until Saturday of next week. Here, help me take in the supplies," Kurt smiled at the amazed look on Blaine's face. He couldn't take him back to Oregon, but this just might be enough.

They moved the boxes into the log house, which reminded Blaine a little of his cabin in Oregon. Kurt had packed enough food and things to last for a week. They busied themselves getting things in order and by noon it was all ready.

"What first?" Kurt asked.

"Let's take a walk through the woods?" Blaine asked, trying to keep his smile from splitting his face.

"I'm fine with that. I have spent fifteen summers here, so I know the terrain, I think we'll be fine. We better take jackets in case it gets cooler, though," he said, pulling his pea jacket out of the back of the SUV.

They didn't really talk very much, just strolled along paths between the trees, holding hands and appreciating the clean air and lack of city sounds. It was so peaceful and serene, balm for what had been ailing Blaine for weeks. As much as he tried to be content with just being with Kurt, the stress of all the new things and experiences, the hustle and bustle of a city, the added stress of being in a high school, especially under the circumstances...and the upcoming trial was turning Blaine into a nervous mess. This is exactly what he needed.

They wandered along the shore of the lake, hand in hand and Kurt could almost feel the stress leaving Blaine as they walked along. He had all but forgotten how he felt in a peaceful setting like this, and had a pang of homesickness for the little cabin in Oregon. Thinking about the short time he spent there, and all the things that happened to him, Kurt found himself blinking back tears.

"Hey, what's this?" Blaine asked, seeing a tear making its way down Kurt's cheek.

"Nothing," Kurt said, wiping his face – but to no avail as another tear made its way down his cheek.

Blaine stopped, turning Kurt into his arms and kissing the tears from his face – which just brought on more.

"Hey, hey...why are you crying? Is it something I did?" Blaine asked, worried.

"Yes. But not what you think...I'm crying because I'm happy, Blaine. So happy," Kurt said and put his arms around Blaine, resting his head on Blaine's strong shoulder. "So happy to be with you..."

They walked back to the house, getting out the dinner Kurt had packed of sandwiches and juice with apples for dessert. They polished off all the food on the table, having walked about two miles that morning, and Kurt brought out something from a bag he'd left on the end of the table.

Blaine lifted his eyebrows in question, and grinned as Kurt brought out a cribbage board and cards. They hadn't played cribbage since they left Oregon and it was something they had both missed.

Several hours later, Blaine owed Kurt forty-five cents, they played a penny a point, and Kurt was thinking of what they would do the next day. He had several ideas, but wanted to surprise Blaine with one in the morning.

"Let's get to bed, it's been a long day and we need to be up with the dawn," Kurt said, taking Blaine's hand to squeeze.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Blaine grinned. It didn't really matter what they were doing, he was on board. This might just be the best weekend he ever had.

"I'm not telling!" Kurt teased.

"Okay, keep your secrets, but I just might have a few surprises of my own," Blaine teased back, getting up to walk around the back of the chair where Kurt was sitting. He leaned over and crossed his hands down over Kurt's shoulders to rest on his chest and kissed his boyfriend's neck with warm, wet kisses. Kurt shivered.

"Oh, like that is it?" he squealed, getting up and chasing Blaine all the way to the bedroom where he'd made the bed with fresh linen when they arrived that morning.

"Okay, I give up!" Blaine called, Kurt having pushed him to the ground and was sitting on his chest. "Let me up, you win," Blaine giggled.

"Oh, lulling me into a false sense of security, eh? I will let you get up, but you have to do whatever I ask the rest of the night," Kurt said in a voice of false authority, making Blaine giggle all the more.

"And when don't I do whatever you say?"

Kurt huffed out a breath and got off of Blaine's chest, walking to the bed and shedding clothes as he went. Blaine stayed where he was, appreciating the view and whistling. Kurt ended his strip-tease on the bed, sliding under the covers before taking off the last few items of clothing.

"Hey, that's not fair! Come out here and strip like a man!"

Kurt started to giggle at that. Blaine got up and took off his own clothes, singing 'Big Spender" as he swayed his hips and shimmied his shoulders. He noticed Kurt's eyes getting wider as he went, saving the final removal of his tight Calvin Klein underwear for after he had climbed under the covers.

"Hey, unfair, you don't get the dollar I was going to tuck into your G-string if you get naked under the covers!" Kurt groused.

"What is that you used to say? Oh, yeah: 'What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander'. Right? You got under the covers to take off your skivvies," Blaine bantered back.

Kurt sat with open mouth, trying to think of a witty comeback; hell, he was _famous_ for them. But none came to mind, so he did the next best thing. He grabbed the corner of the sheet and yanked the whole bunch of sheet, blankets, counterpane all off of Blaine at once, wrapping them around himself and leaving Blaine buck naked on the bed. He gave him his best 'Don't mess with me' glare.

"Aww, that is so unfair. Here I am, just trying to make it all even and you go and do something like that. It's so cold out here..." Blaine pouted, his lip quivering in practiced pitifulness.

"Okay, you can come back under, but you have to help me make the bed first," Kurt negotiated.

He got up, dumped all the covers to the floor and picked up the sheet, flapping it across the bed with a snap for Blaine to grab hold of and they pulled it taut across the mattress, smoothing it as they went. By the time the bed was made, both of them had calmed down and slid into bed to cuddle for a while.

"Are you getting warm again?" Blaine asked as he nuzzled his nose into Kurt's neck, getting all the cuddles he could take in. He was such a tactile person, and it had been a hard-won battle to get Kurt to appreciate this in him. Kurt had never been one to hug very much after his mother died. All the friends and relatives that came to the funeral wanted to comfort the boy, so they passed him around like a rag-doll, and he got a distaste for it. But with Blaine, all bets were off. He not only loved to have Blaine bury his face in his shoulder, poke his nose into his neck, wrap his arms around his waist and tangle their legs together, but he actually _craved_ it. He felt like something was missing when he was forced into a situation, like school, where he couldn't physically touch him.

Kurt meant to make up for all that time he was denied contact with Blaine.

They had been lying close, just soaking up the wonderful feeling of touching, for almost an hour. It was getting late, but neither boy was sleepy, they were just content to be together with no outside interference.

"Kurt, my sweet Kurt, thank you so much for this – this oasis, this Eden. I know I've been moody and irritable, but it was like I got caught in the loop and couldn't get away from it. I just want you to know – I am not upset with you for my inability to assimilate into the city life. I want to be with you, Kurt. I never want to be apart, but it was as though I was caught in this trap of depression and this awful feeling that I couldn't fix it. I know it's just a matter of adjusting myself to a new..ah...culture? I promise I'll work harder on it. Do you forgive me?" Blaine spoke very softly, not daring to look at Kurt's eyes, fearing some sort of disappointment in them.

Kurt didn't say anything for a few moments. He understood what Blaine was saying, but had to form his words carefully so they didn't come out sounding condescending or mean.

"First, there is nothing at all to forgive! You haven't done anything wrong, Blaine. I do understand, I had somewhat of a culture shock myself when I landed in your camp. But I think it was different. I had just you to be with every day, and that was easy. You having to deal with so much all at once..well, all I can say is that I am in awe of how well you are coping. I hope being out here at the lake house might help you to regroup a little. I'm so sorry I couldn't take you home to Oregon for the week, Blaine. I really am," Kurt said with regret.

"I don't need to be in Oregon, baby, I just need to be alone with you. I think if we keep trusting each other, we'll both be okay, Kurt. This was the best gift anyone has ever given me, and I love you for it," Blaine whispered, snuggling into Kurt's side.

They lay together, thinking over what they had said, just enjoying the closeness. When they first discovered their mutual attraction, Blaine had worried about being nervous around Kurt when it came to being intimate. Kurt had gotten the idea that because being nude in front of a stranger, as he was the first night at the cabin when they washed for bed, that Blaine had more experience. It came as a real surprise that he did not at all. It was just that in the culture he was raised, Blaine had never been taught to be ashamed of his body. When the realization of that set in, Kurt was even more confused. As time went by and they were both headed in the direction of attraction to one another, Blaine had suddenly become shy. If they hadn't been comfortable enough to talk all of this out, they might never have gotten together. Kurt was very aware of that and thus was determined to keep the lines of communication open at all cost. Even the cost of his dignity.

"Blaine, there is something I've thought we needed to talk about. We have touched on the subject, but just sort of danced around it," Kurt said, laying his cheek against Blaine's warm back as he cuddled close to him under the blankets.

"Okay, you know you can ask me or tell me anything," Blaine reminded him.

"I was..ah..thinking about that first night when we were watching Little Mermaid and we took a shower together," Kurt started, a little apprehensive to bring this up, but he wanted to bring it out in the open between them. He'd been stewing about it for too long with no answer in site. He needed Blaine to give him some answers, or at the least to acknowledge what Kurt was thinking.

"Yeah, I remember that night...and what we did in the shower," Blaine assured him, a warm smile coming over his face.

"When I was..touching you, when I was stroking you, you turned around and pulled my hand forward to continue what I had started, right?"

"Yes."

"You were still rubbing against me the same, but with your backside. The water made everything slick, so my ah...well...I kind of slipped between your...oh, I can't do this!" Kurt stopped in frustration. He normally wasn't afraid to say anything to Blaine. How could he be? He'd seen Blaine naked, he'd swallowed his semen for god's sake, how could he be so difficult to talk to?

"It's okay, baby, it is. I know what you're saying. Yes, when I turned around it was because I just wanted a different angle – you were used to stroking yourself, so I thought if you were behind me, you would be more comfortable with getting the angle and rhythm easier," Blaine explained.

"You seemed to like it a lot, and you are right, it helped me focus not to have to turn it around in my brain at that moment. But when I was rubbing against you, and my cock was running inside your...crack, against your..ah..entrance?...you seemed to like it a lot more," Kurt whispered, and Blaine blushed. Kurt wasn't the only one that had thought about that moment since it happened.

Kurt suddenly pounded his fist into the mattress in frustration. "Damn it, this it too hard to talk about, but if I don't know what you're feeling, then I don't know how to proceed because I don't know what you want or need or would like or what is too far..." Kurt was so upset, he just curved his arms around himself and put his head down, hiding from Blaine under the blankets.

Blaine turned to face Kurt, slowly coaxing him out from under the blankets. He pulled him close and just held him, stroking his hand down Kurt's arm until he felt the muscles begin to relax once again. He moved his hand to caress and massage the tight muscles in Kurt's back, whispering little things, nonsense things, into his ear and kissing him gently on his face, his jaw, his neck. When he judged Kurt was calmed down, he turned him so they were face to face, but Kurt was clutched close to Blaine's chest, his head on Blaine's shoulder. He had his eyes closed, but was wide awake.

"There now, better?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's get this conversation back on track. No need for you to be so hesitant to say anything to me, my sweet Kurt. You know I love you, I want us to be able to talk about anything, even if it seems embarrassing on the surface. Better that we get a little embarrassed than we mess up a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, I just lost sight of that for a minute. I'm sorry. I'm okay now to continue.." Kurt said, still not opening his eyes because the gentle stroking on his temple felt so nice.

"You were asking me if it felt good when you were rubbing against my ass. Yes, Kurt it did. I hadn't thought about it ahead of time, it just sort of happened, but when it did, oh, it felt so good," Blaine confessed, "There was this new feeling, this mounting tension that turned into waves of pleasure, curling up my spine and spreading through my body. I don't know what I was thinking - except it was like an invitation for more but I was too afraid to accept. And while I might not have that night, Kurt, I would not say no tonight." Blaine stopped speaking, his words burning in Kurt and making his belly jerk, his knees feel weak, and his face get hot.

Kurt believed him, and he would have anyway, but the evidence of his degree of arousal was poking him in the thigh right now, so it was not something he doubted.

"And just thinking about me, rubbing you there, is what brought this on?" he asked, taking hold of Blaine's hardness, gasping just a little at just how hard it was. "Oh!" he said before he brought himself under control.

"Yeah..." Blaine answered in a low, gravely voice that ran down Kurt's spine and into his belly to light a fire. Kurt gasped and his hand automatically held Blaine more firmly and moved down a little.

Kurt shuffled himself farther under the covers, and Blaine followed, sinking deeper into the mattress to think about this turn in events. His fingers let go and went under his pillow where he had stashed the lubricant he brought with him. He didn't know if they would need it, but better to be safe than sorry. Now he was really glad he'd planned for any contingency.

They had used this a few times before, but not often because they hadn't been together doing this stuff for very long, and having sex in his father's house with Finn there wasn't always comfortable.

Kurt took off the lid, squeezing out a large dollop of the silicone based substance and held it in his hand.

"Blaine, do you want me to try that again? But with my fingers this time," Kurt whispered so softly Blaine could hardly hear him.

"Yes, baby, please.." was all he could murmur, his blood so loud in his ears, the scent of Kurt so close to him – like spring rain and spicy jasmine plus something earthy and sexy – and he spread his legs apart to give Kurt access, trembling in anticipation. Kurt buttered his fingers with the slick stuff, now warmed and ready. He leaned in to kiss Blaine and felt his way down inside the blankets with the back of his hand, careful not to let any of the lube rub off before he got to his destination. He had planned to stroke Blaine's inner thighs, maybe over his lower belly and down until he reached the desired place, but he had the lube on his hand now, so he went right for the place. Blaine, who had envisioned the same slow progression, jumped when Kurt's first touch was directly on target.

"Ohhh!" he breathed, surprised and almost shocked, but he recovered quickly and kissed Kurt deeply. Kurt, not sure what exactly to do in spite of the pamphlets, just ran his finger down Blaine's crack until he encountered the puckered skin he was searching for. Blaine let out a loud sigh and Kurt could feel him relax. Still kissing, Kurt moved his finger around in circles, gauging what this felt like from his side. Blaine was enjoying this if the state of the rest of his body was anything to go by: he was so hard, his breath panting, fingers curled into a fist on his chest, and the ever increasing sounds he was making. Kurt continued, fascinated by Blaine's reactions which were making him excited as well. He circled the ring, slowly at first, then just dipping the pad of his finger into the depression, but not actually entering as he smeared the lubrication all around. Never breaking his rhythm with one hand, he moved Blaine's feet closer to his body, bending his knees to give Kurt more access, then actually moving himself so he was between Blaine's legs and - grasping Blaine's calf, he rested it on his shoulder – completely exposing Blaine to him.

Kurt could hardly take in a breath, as he made a decision to move forward and actually enter Blaine with his finger. His Blaine, who moaned so loudly it scared Kurt for a moment. Now his breath was coming louder, too, and Kurt tried to move his hand, but Blaine was so tight and he didn't want to hurt him. He opted for just moving very slowly and stroking Blaine's inner thigh for comfort and reached a bit further in. He had no idea what this might feel like, but the heat generated from Blaine's body was much warmer than Kurt anticipated, and the smoothness of the muscles as he moved his finger was amazing. He closed his eyes for a moment, because looking at Blaine's face as he went through this ecstasy was almost too much. It was seeing Blaine so naked, so raw, Kurt was scared to look – but he couldn't look away.

"Oh...Kurt...you can't imagine...Ohh, can you give me more?" Blaine said, whining and struggling to keep his hips still.

"Yes, baby..I will take care of you.." Kurt promised, and he hoped he could.

Using more lubricant, he eased another finger inside of Blaine, feeling dizzy and faint as the moaning increased and Blaine seemed to be falling apart in front of him.

"Are you okay, Blaine, is it too much?" Kurt asked with a worry in his voice.

Blaine's hand came up to take hold of Kurt's left hand, holding it tight for a second before relaxing. "Yes, it's so good, Kurt...so good...Ahhh..."

Kurt didn't stop moving - still gently, trying so hard to do it right for Blaine. He was so close to doing it right... just moving a fraction of an inch at a time, the two fingers seeming like too much. But Blaine was taking them, and didn't show any sign of distress, so Kurt kept on. He turned a little, searching for the place that he had read was the key to unlocking this mystery and it was a few seconds before he found it. He worried it wasn't right until he'd pressed over it a second time and the deep, velvety groan that spilled out of Blaine's throat was too much. Before he could stop it or even acknowledge what was happening to him, Kurt found himself spurting hot cum in rhythmic ejaculations all over Blaine's naked skin, and not a hand to guide it because both of his were busy. It was the warmth of the semen spreading across Blaine's inner thigh and over his belly that made him open his eyes and the look on Kurt's face was all he needed. He let go of Kurt's hand to grasp at his own hard cock, but Kurt was quicker and was stroking down in firm rhythmic motions just as he moved his finger, firmly over that place deep inside Blaine that focused each stroke into a mind altering event. Blaine stopped making noise for a split second, then called Kurt's name soft but intense as he came so hard, so, so hard. He was trembling and shaking and when it was over, he closed his eyes and took Kurt's hand and held it next to his heart.


	15. Chapter 15 - The Fight

The boys were up at the crack of dawn the next morning, breakfast done and dressed for a day in the rough. Kurt made Blaine close his eyes and promise not to peek and came back into the room with his hands full of fishing equipment. Blaine heard him shuffling back in.

"Can I look now?" he asked for the fourth time.

"Yes!" Kurt crowed, so pleased with himself.

Blaine opened his eyes and blinked in the sunlight, then his gaze fell on Kurt and the poles and tackle in his arms. He let out a "Whooop!" and a huge grin spread across his already smiling face.

"Oh, Kurt! I was thinking about fishing when we were walking along the lake shore yesterday, this is great!" he enthused, throwing his arms around Kurt's neck and hugging him, fishing tackle and all, against his chest, kissing him thoroughly. Kurt gasped and staggered back, Blaine catching him at the last minute before he fell.

They got everything ready, including a lunch if they stayed out that long, and walked along the shore. The weather was cooperating, the sun was shining and the little bit of wind brought a smell of spring. They were in no hurry and strolled along, stopping to watch a squirrel chasing its friend across the branches of a tree.

"Oh, I forgot about this! Here, set the fishing tackle down and come with me," Kurt coaxed. Blaine followed his instructions. They walked down a path to a huge oak tree and Kurt walked around it until he found a rope, dangling down from a branch high above their heads. He first gave it a good yank, then pulled on it with all of his body weight. Blaine watched with curious eyes for a moment before he figured out what Kurt was doing.

"Testing to make sure it's not going to fray?"

"Yep. But it seems solid enough. Want to go first?" Kurt offered. He looked around the ground until he located a block of notched wood and secured it to the rope for a foot-hold.

Blaine grinned and looked to see where it was safest to swing.

"Yes, thank you, Kurt, I'd love to." Delight twinkled in his eyes as he put one foot on the block of wood and pulled back as far as he could, then launched himself and swung out over a dip in the ground, far across and back again. Kurt could hear his joy in the simple pleasure. When he slowed down, Kurt grabbed him around the waist to stop him and he jumped off.

"Oh, that was wonderful! You have to try it," Blaine enthused.

Kurt got one foot on the block of wood and Blaine helped pull him back as far as possible and pushed him hard. The swing went sailing out into the sky, Kurt letting out a "Whoop!" as he flew along.

They played, taking turns on the swing for almost an hour, squealing in delight as though they were little kids again before turning back to the path and gathering their fishing gear to walk to the lake.

"Do you know the best places to fish?" Blaine asked, "Since you come here every year, I mean."

"Ahh, no. I only went fishing once and it wasn't here. I went with my dad and uncle when I was a little kid. But I saw Mercy's dad, Dr. Jones, fishing up here. There's some rocks that go out into the lake and he used to stand on those to fish. Here..." Kurt directed and Blaine smiled. He was used to fishing in a river, but he was game to try the lake.

"Oh, you brought our flies! I'll set this pole up. Can you do your own pole, do you remember how?" Blaine asked.

"Of course I do. Who caught that Chinook salmon?" Kurt teased, so happy to see Blaine acting like a big kid again. His smile had been absent for too long.

They set up their poles and got the lines in the water.

"You know, Kurt, I really don't mind living in Lima. I got homesick, but this is so wonderful I'm okay to go back to Lima after this week. Is it weird that the seniors got a week off?" Blaine asked.

"No, they're doing one of those standardized tests for the rest of the school, and I'll take a week off anytime," Kurt answered.

You know, Kurt, I'm fine as long as I'm with you. I don't want you to worry about me," Blaine told him.

"Okay, I do have to admit, I was worried...I think you need to call Cooper more often, too. We have talked a lot about the trial, but not about what comes after. Tell me what you're thinking," Kurt asked, almost afraid to bring up the subject. But he knew it wouldn't go away by ignoring it, so he thought this might be a good opportunity while they were both calm and the stress level was minimal.

"You know, I have been giving it a lot of thought. Burt has offered to let me stay with you for the rest of the school year, and as much as being in the city is nerve-wracking, I do want to finish the year - with you. I want to experience at least one year of school. Things like the show choir, and prom, I think that will be fun. What do you think?" Blaine asked, having given this a lot of thought.

"I love the idea of you staying as long as possible. I kind of think my dad has already figured it out. He smiles at you all the time, you know. What are you thinking about doing after we graduate?" Kurt asked, this being something he was fearing. If they were going to split, this would be the time.

"I don't really know. I know you want to go to school in New York. I want to be with you wherever that takes me. I am rather afraid of that, in some ways. You keep telling me that Lima is a sleepy little city, but it seems so extreme to me. If Lima is like that, my wildest imagination cannot draw a picture of what New York would be like. So..I just don't know. We have time to decide."

"I guess a lot of it hinges on what you want to do with your life, doesn't it? I mean if you want to be a teacher or a doctor, you'll have to go to school. But if you want to be a cook and take over Cookie and Shannon's position at the camp, college might not be necessary," Kurt reasoned.

"I haven't decided. We need to keep talking about it. I do have money to go to college if I want. Mr. Warner set up a trust fund for both Cooper and me when our dad died. It's enough to get me through a four year college and set up in whatever I want to do. I just don't want to decide in a hurry. Everything I ever knew was turned upside-down when I met you, Kurt, and I need to stop and put it all in order in my head. I can only do that with you, since we want to be together. Right? Is that still what you want?" Blaine asked.

"Of course it is! We can keep the conversation open, we do still have time. All my applications are in, but I want to add some schools to that list. Namely some in Oregon and Washington. I didn't just fall in love with you, Blaine. I kind of fell in love with Oregon, too," Kurt grinned.

The discussion was cut short when Blaine got a bite and snapped his wrist to set the hook before he started reeling in the fish. He finally got it in, Kurt scooping it out of the water as it reached the lake shore.

"That's not a trout..what is it?" Blaine asked, scrutinizing the fish.

Kurt had a paper that he had taken out of his pocket and unfolded. "According to this, it's a Blue Perch. Apparently they're good to eat. Well, it's kind of small, but it says here they're one of the best tasting fish you can catch. Good. Let's get some more," Kurt said, folding the paper back into his pocket and taking the fish to put on the stringer.

Blaine smiled and then noticed Kurt's bobber was moving in the water.

"Get back to work here, there's a fish on your line."

They caught fish after fish, mostly Blue Perch and a few lake trout. The sun was well up when they decided they had enough and were walking back to the house, hand in hand as they had so many times in Oregon.

Back at the house they fried the fish and ate and ate until they were so full they had to take a nap, cuddled together on the large leather sofa in front of the fireplace.

The week went way too fast, each day a precious time for them to have just each other once again. They played cards, fished for their supper, sang and walked in the woods. It seemed like all of their troubles had just ceased to exist, as if time and troubles were suspended while they were at the Lake House. They took the time to talk to each other: to discuss what they really wanted in life, how they might mesh two such different lives into one. In the fairy tale existence that was this place, it all seemed possible.

Saturday night came all too quickly. They had packed most of the things in the Navigator that afternoon, cleaned the house so it would be spotless when they left. The only thing left was to change the linen in the morning and lock the door. Kurt had brought along a bottle of wine to leave as a gift for the Jones family to show his appreciation for them loaning him the house.

"Is this the bed you sleep in when you spend summers here?" Blaine asked that night as they were going to sleep.

"Yeah, Mercedes and I have always slept here," Kurt told him, smiling at the thought of his best friend.

"You sleep with a girl?" Blaine was surprised.

"Ah...yeah. I've known her all my life, our mothers were friends. Why?" Kurt asked.

"Ah, no reason, I guess. Just...did you ever do more than just sleep?" Blaine was not sure how much to ask here, it really wasn't his business, but he was curious.

"Blaine, I'm gay. Even my dad knew I was gay by the time I was three. No, Mercy and I never had sex. Why? Would that be hot?" Kurt giggled.

Blaine saw nothing funny about it. "No, I didn't assume anything like that. I lived in Lenore's house for a year after my dad died, and she would sneak into my bed in the mornings. She had a bunch of surgeries on her legs from the burns she got in the fire. I didn't want to make her feel any worse, so I didn't ask her to leave, but I didn't want her to touch me. Not because of the burns, I think...it was more that she was a girl. Don't get me wrong, I like girls for the most part. They can be sweet and pretty, but I'm just not attracted to them. It was really uncomfortable for me. I do like Lenore on a certain level, but she just reminds me of when I lost my dad."

"Oh, Blaine. You can't blame yourself for that. And it isn't Lenore's fault, she doesn't deserve what she was dealt in life any more than you do, but surely she knows why you avoid her?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know that she does. She has followed me around like a puppy since she could crawl. I was the only other kid in camp, so when Mr. Warner moved his family to the main camp the year he built that house, Lenore was a baby. She played with me all the time and since we were the only kids there, we got to be friends. She just got so clingy after the accident, and I pushed her away. I feel bad about it," Blaine explained.

"I don't think you could be expected to do anything else, Blaine. I think she understands. Don't let it eat you up, she wouldn't want that." Kurt snuggled Blaine into his chest, dropping a few random kisses to his face.

"I hope so. I hate being an asshole, nobody likes an asshole," Blaine sighed.

"You are not an asshole. At all. Now, come here and kiss me properly."

Blaine complied.

"Kurt, are you still awake?" Blaine whispered, not sure if he was.

"Hmmm?" Kurt hummed, only half awake, but always willing to talk to Blaine.

"Oh, I'm sorry...go back to sleep. I didn't mean to disturb you," Blaine whispered, rubbing Kurt's back and enjoying the purr coming from his satisfied boyfriend.

"What was it?" Kurt asked, a little more awake and looking at this watch to see it was two in the morning.

"Nothing, I thought you were awake. It can wait."

"No, tell me. You've been restless all evening, so spill. It can't be that bad, and if it is we'll fix it. Together," Kurt said, turning over to face Blaine and taking his hand. When Blaine didn't answer, Kurt got a little worried. "Is this something serious?"

"No, no, not at all. Honestly, I thought you were awake and I had something to talk over, but I don't want to disturb your sleep with it. We can talk on the way home in the morning."

Kurt leaned forward, catching Blaine's lips and kissed him. Blaine pulled away a little.

"Now, none of that. We need to have clear heads if we're going to discuss this," Blaine said.

"Now it really does sound serious. Blaine, just tell me, I'm beginning to worry," Kurt sat up straighter and leaned over to turn on the bedside lamp, but Blaine stopped him, holding his hand and taking his other hand in the dark.

"Kurt, I know we've kind of mentioned this before, but always put it on the back burner, so to speak. In view of what we've been doing this week...I just think we need to talk about where we are and where we're going," Blaine said, hesitating.

"Cryptic much?" Kurt was getting a tiny bit short tempered and really just wanted Blaine to spit it out, but he also didn't want to upset him by being demanding. So he just sat still, holding Blaine's hands a little firmer.

"I'm sorry. Here, let's lie down so I can hold you. I just want to talk about sex, okay?"

"Oh..." Kurt said, his mind shifting gears.

They lay back down and Blaine tugged Kurt's back next to his chest, wrapping his arms around Kurt's ribs. They were in their favorite position, just the right placement for Blaine to kiss Kurt's neck and whisper in his ear; to have his whole body enveloped in Blaine's embrace. But they kept it platonic for the moment, wanting to concentrate on their discussion.

"I was thinking about what happened the first night we were here, that it was probably more serious than either of us thought when we started," Blaine said, thinking how to put this.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't mean to go too far, you should have said something, stopped me..." Kurt started to babble.

"Oh, Kurt...that isn't it. Not at all. I was just thinking about it. Actually, I think about it a lot," Blaine whispered, the images of Kurt sitting between his legs, plunging his fingers inside him - this was harder to talk about than he had ever thought it would be.

"I do, too - think about that, I mean," Kurt murmured back.

"You do? What do you think about?" Blaine asked, a bit surprised.

Kurt got really quiet, trying to figure out how to say this. "Blaine, you know that night – the whole feeling in the room - I came without touching myself, without _you_ touching me. How is that even possible? It was just listening to you, knowing that I made you sound like that...I was hard and excited and listening to you, feeling you, imagining how it felt...and then I was coming _so hard_...I couldn't believe it," Kurt said in a soft voice, turning to look over his shoulder at how his boyfriend was taking what he'd told him. Kurt relaxed as he locked eyes with Blaine, seeing how deeply it was affecting him.

"Yeah, I do know that. I dream it over and over again, your sighs and moans that vibrate all the way through me. I was scared to ask you before because you never said anything, but Kurt? Would you ever want me to do that to you? I mean, you cannot believe how amazing it feels, and I want you to experience it, I want to share that with you, but only if you want me to," Blaine whispered so quietly, Kurt had to strain to hear him.

He struggled to answer Blaine, not wanting him to think that he was in any way hesitant to act out that fantasy, but he was having trouble making the words come out of his throat, making them stumble over his lips into Blaine's ear...and the struggle was so hard, he began to tremble.

Blaine held him closer, now worried he had pushed Kurt too far.

"Baby, you know I would never do anything that you don't want me to do, don't you? I can wait until you're ready, no pressure, and if you never are, that's okay, too. Oh, my god, Kurt, please don't be upset. We don't have to talk about this..."

"No...we need to, I just can't say what I want to say, it's...I don't know how to tell you," Kurt stuttered.

"Shhhhh, let's just calm down, we can cuddle for a while and then come back to it, or we can hold each other and go to sleep? There isn't any time limit on this and we don't have to decide anything tonight. Shhhh, baby, just close your eyes and feel me holding you safe...But Kurt, I hope you know you can tell me anything," Blaine murmured as he snuggled with Kurt. They stayed that way for a while, both listening to the wind sighing through the trees.

"Blaine? Can you come with me?" Kurt asked and when Blaine nodded his head, Kurt got up from the bed and grabbed a blanket. He slipped on his robe and slippers, took Blaine's hand and went out the back door into the yard. He spread the blanket and they laid down, close together on the grass.

"Look, it's Orion's Belt," Kurt pointed to the bright stars above them. Blaine smiled and looked for another constellation, finding Ursa Major and Minor. They looked for all the stars they could name, and even made up names for the ones that had no names, and wondered if their loved ones were up there somewhere looking after them.

"After all, _something_ made you come 2500 miles to find me," Blaine smiled, kissing Kurt's mouth – just at the corner where the cutest dimple appeared.

"Oh, Blaine, you are so sweet. It must have been fate, right?" Kurt smiled and kissed him back.

"Should we go back inside? It's kind of cold to be out here in just a robe and pajamas," Blaine said.

"In a minute. I'm sorry I couldn't collect myself enough to finish our talk in there. I don't know why I was so nervous, but before we go back, I have been thinking about it all week, but I didn't know how to bring it up. I know I can trust you with my heart, but I still don't know how to say some things to you. Even though I know with my head that you accept me and wouldn't judge me, it's these feelings you've stirred up in me...I don't know how to tell you what I'm thinking, how it's affecting me. You understand, don't you?" Kurt said, leaning on his elbow to be able to look directly into his eyes, willing Blaine to see his sincerity, his need.

"I know, Kurt. It's hard for me to say things, too. It takes courage and I'm lucky that I have a boyfriend with all the courage in the world. I know absolutely that no matter what happens, we can always talk it out. No matter how hard it is, we'll be able to do that. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Kurt said back, taking Blaine's lips in his own and kissing him, holding the back of his neck to brace himself as he lost himself in the warmth of Blaine's mouth – wet and demanding, making Kurt whine for more.

"Let's go back inside and go to bed," Blaine said, getting up and gathering the blanket as they hurried back.

Back under the covers in the warm bed, the boys snuggled together until they were warm once again.

"Thank you, Kurt, I had all but forgotten the night we spent stargazing in Oregon. Do you remember what else happened that day?"

"It was the first day we kissed," Kurt answered immediately. That was a day that wasn't going to leave his mind anytime soon.

"One of the best days of my life," Blaine agreed.

Kurt snuggled closer, stretching his body so they were touching all the way from shoulders to toes and put his arm around Blaine's waist.

"Blaine? I …...I do want that with you, what we talked about, what I did for you. I do want you to do that, and more. We have the rest of our lives to do it, but I was thinking maybe sooner rather than later. Okay?" Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear because he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. It was too private, too intimate to just say it. Even whispering it to his sleepy boyfriend brought shivers to his skin. Blaine didn't answer, he just ran his hand along Kurt's face, cupping his jaw before kissing his lips in acknowledgement. They turned so they were belly to belly, like little bears and Blaine's head fit under Kurt's chin and Kurt's arms fit around Blaine's shoulders as they fell asleep. Tomorrow would be another day.

Driving back to the Hummel house, Kurt and Blaine held hands over the console most of the time, but they sang and talked and giggled and sang again. It was a long drive and they were almost home, but they were having so much fun just being together that they weren't paying much attention to anything else.

"We need to stop for gas before we get home, Blaine, or we won't have enough to get to school on Monday morning. Do you need anything?"

"I'll run inside and get us both some sort of juice to drink on the way home while you fill the tank," Blaine agreed as Kurt pulled into a gas station-convenience store not too far from McKinley. He walked to the back of the store to see what kinds of juice were in the refrigerated section and then stopped by the magazines to see if the new August Man or Icon Magazine were out yet. He wanted to get them for Kurt.

Meanwhile, Kurt had been pumping gas into his Navigator and the pump had just clicked off, the tank full. He was putting the gas cap back on when someone bumped his shoulder and he turned around, expecting to see Blaine. It wasn't his boyfriend.

Five of the jocks from McKinley were there, all close friends of Azimio, Rick, and Mason. They had been riding home from a game when they spotted Kurt in a relatively unpopulated place. It was near the edge of town, and there was only the single employee – inside the store.

"Hummel, why did you come back? I thought you learned your lesson at the dance," a jock named Craig said in a bitter tone.

"Yeah, and because of you, our three friends are facing charges. If you had just stayed away, they might have been set free," another jock named Roger sneered.

"That's not true. If I hadn't come home, they would be facing murder charges. With me still alive, it is only attempted murder. Surely you know that carries a lesser sentence? They should be glad I came back," Kurt said boldly, although he was shaking inside. This felt too much like that night of the dance.

"I think maybe we were light on you last time, queer. You didn't get the message. You don't belong here. This time we're going to make sure you don't get a chance to come back," Craig said, flicking his fingers against Kurt's shirt.

"Don't make things worse on yourselves. Just let me be, and you won't get into any more trouble than you're already in," Kurt said, wishing he could reach his cell without them seeing him. He had just decided to try it when another kid came up on the other side.

"Don't get any ideas, faggot. Let go of what's in your pocket...we don't want you jerking off here," Boyd said in disgust, joining his fellow jocks.

Kurt was backing up a little at a time before that happened, but he could see that there was little place for him to maneuver. He was between the side of his Navigator and the gas pumps. Trapped. He was not ready to give up until he heard the next thing.

"Hey, where's your pet queer with the curls?" Roger asked.

"Yea, he's always joined at the hip to that little fuck. Whatsa matter, did he find someone else to fuck this weekend?" the tight end, Les, weighed in.

Kurt took in a big breath. He couldn't run – even if he saw the opportunity – and leave Blaine behind. No, he had to stay and protect him.

Roger continued poking him, moving him back further and further. He couldn't turn around because he was stuck and so he just continued to back up until they were standing so close...they had maneuvered Kurt out from the space beside his car. Roger and Craig made a grab and held Kurt between them, cruelly twisting his arms behind him in a full nelson. Les was winding up his arm to hit Kurt. They were too strong, although Kurt was putting up a good fight.

Suddenly there was another person in the parking lot. Kurt managed to pull loose from Roger, but Craig had a tighter hold on him.

"What are you doing?" Blaine shouted from across the parking lot, dropping the bag of groceries and sprinting towards Kurt. Les turned and sneered at Blaine.

"What? Oh, the other faggot. Well, it's two for one, guys. Boyd, let's take care of the short one, then take our time with Hummel," Les said, waving Boyd over closer. Les turned on Blaine and got the shock of his life. Blaine had dropped into his boxing stance and with one uppercut, Les was out cold on the pavement. There was an audible gasp and everything was suddenly very still, like the world had stopped turning for a second. But it didn't last and Roger and Mark were lunging toward Blaine, determined to take revenge on him for knocking their leader out.

Blaine was able to dance away from them, dodging their ridiculous attempts at punching and getting in three body punches to each glancing blow by the three other boys. Blaine clocked Roger as he tried to come in with a punch, knocking him down with a right cross followed by a left jab. He fell hard and started to get up, so Blaine kicked him in the kidney. He lay flat down on the pavement, groaning in pain.

"_He's gonna pee blood for a week," _Blaine thought.

Down to three and Craig was still wrestling with Kurt. Boyd and Mark both came at Blaine at the same time and it might have been over - considering they were panting and starting to stagger and Blaine hadn't broken a sweat yet, but a car skidded into the parking lot. Kurt wished with all his might that someone had seen this and called the police. What he didn't know was that the attendant in the store had called and the police were on their way.

It had been two against five, but two more friends of Azimio's got out of the car to join the fight. Kurt's heart sank. He knew Blaine could do some real damage, but he wasn't super human. Even Blaine couldn't fight that many people at once, and all of the jocks were big guys. Blaine, for all his training and developed muscle was a small guy in comparison. Kurt was scared half to death for Blaine, and that's probably what made the next thing happen: he was able to throw Craig off of himself and get closer to Blaine, punching with all the strength he could muster.

They gave it a good try, Craig had been knocked down, but got back up, and the others would be sporting some large bruises complements of Blaine. But there were too many. Blaine and Kurt were not giving up and continued to fight them off when another car skidded into the parking lot. Kurt's hopes went up, thinking it was someone to help, but those hopes came crashing down when he saw who stepped out of the car. Blaine turned to see what he'd have to deal with and was adjusting his stance once again when he saw the boy get out of the car and come racing across the parking lot.

Dave Karofsky.

Kurt's heart sank.

Blaine's reserves were nowhere near spent, this was a walk in the park as far as stamina went. It was just hard to keep going when the threat was coming from so many directions at once. Now Karofsky was here.

Kurt lunged at the boy in front of him, pushing him out of the way. He heard the "oufff" as he hit Mark's stomach and knocked the air from his lungs. Kurt was determined to get to Karofsky before he could get a chance to hit Blaine. He had been knocked around by Karofsky for years, so he knew he could take it, and he wanted to save Blaine from that at least. If they got Kurt, maybe they would leave Blaine alone.

Kurt started to go towards Dave, but two sets of hands grabbed him and held his body between them once again, Craig winding up to hit him in the stomach.

"This is for Azimio, Rick, and Mason..." he said, but the punch never landed. Instead there was a crunching sound and Craig fell to the ground. Kurt looked up to see what happened and Dave Karofsky was standing there, rubbing his fist before turning to one of the boys holding Kurt and letting go with another punch. Boyd, who was still holding Kurt, let go and ran.

Kurt started toward Blaine, who was fighting both a hockey team jock and Mark. He was punching, but they were keeping him so busy with footwork to try to stay away from their reaches, he hadn't been able to knock either of them out.

Dave followed Kurt, actually pulling him back when they reached the fight, and grabbed Mark by the collar, jerking him off his feet. As soon as his second opponent was gone, Blaine turned his attention solely on the hockey kid and landed a roundhouse that sent the boy flying. Dave just watched him go, then calmly took out his cell and phoned for an ambulance.

"Tell me where you're still hurting, kiddo," Burt asked, his arms around Kurt. The two were sitting in the ambulance while the EMT took Kurt's vitals. Blaine was standing outside the vehicle, having insisted that they take Kurt in first. He overheard Boyd in the other ambulance.

"Nobody told me Anderson was a fucking boxer!"

Blaine smirked to himself. He hoped these uneducated boys would go somewhere to learn a lesson. It seems a woman in a car across the parking lot saw what was going on and had also called the police before Blaine had even gotten into the fight.

The EMT was just leading Kurt from the back of his vehicle, Burt still holding his arm, when he looked at Blaine.

"You're next, hero. Step in," the man said, waving him into the interior of the ambulance. "That was some fight. Where did a kid like you learn to throw a roundhouse like that? I was just pulling into the parking lot when I saw you. You are something amazing, kid." Blaine ducked his head a bit and the man went on with his examination.

"I was a prize fighter, in a lumber camp in Oregon. I never knew all that training would pay off," Blaine said, still in a little bit of shock. He had never once hit anyone in anger and it was making him feel weird and sick. But he had done it to save Kurt, so he didn't regret any of it.

Dave Karofsky sat on the hood of his car. All he wanted was to go home, the policeman told him he had to sit there and not leave the vicinity of his car. He didn't know how to explain this and certainly did not want anyone to find out his secret.

The policewoman came over to Dave along with Kurt and Burt.

"These men want to have a word with you, son, if it's okay with you?" the policewoman asked. Dave nodded. She stood back to give them some privacy.

"Thank you, Dave. But why? I don't understand, why would you help me? You hate me," Kurt said, incredulously. He still had no idea what was going on.

"Kurt, I don't hate you. I know I've shoved you into lockers, but I had to so nobody knew...I sort of envy you. I wish I could be more like you, Kurt, so brave. You know I wasn't there when those three beat you up at the school dance, right?" Dave asked.

Kurt closed his eyes and thought. "No, I didn't see you there, that's true," Kurt said, puzzled.

"Well, if I'd have been there, I would have stopped them. I felt guilty because I overheard some of the guys talking, saying they were going to get you after the dance. But I didn't even go to the dance, I was out to dinner with my folks and went home to bed. I'm sorry I didn't even warn you, Kurt." Dave sighed, looking sheepishly at Kurt's dad. "Kurt, I kind of have a crush on you..I have since last year. But I'm not...ah..not out yet. I didn't want anyone to know, and now...I don't know how to handle it."

"I felt so bad that when you got back, I kind of followed you around, watching out for you. I was going to help you and Blaine in the hallway that day they trapped you, but I told Coach Sylvester instead. I didn't want anyone to know I was trying to protect you," Dave turned his head and looked away.

"I guess that's all over with now, this will be all over school by tomorrow, I'll be the laughing stock of the school and I doubt they'll let me be on the football team any more," Dave lamented.

"It was a brave thing you did, David," Burt said. "Thank you for protecting my son. You may not have been able to stand up for yourself, and you have made mistakes in the past, but that was a brave thing to put aside your feelings of self preservation and help someone at such a high cost to you. You should be proud."

"Thanks, Mr. Hummel, I just want to go home. I'm sorry I couldn't have helped earlier, Kurt," Dave said and turned to get in his car.

"Thank you, Dave," Kurt said, still a little groggy from the punch he'd taken.

In the end, none of the boys was hurt enough to be taken to the hospital. Blaine hurt his hands, being used to boxing gloves and not bare-knuckle brawling, but he would be okay in a week or so. Finn had ridden with Burt when he got the call from the police and offered to drive the Navigator home.

Kurt and Blaine got in Burt's truck.

"I don't know what you could have done to prevent that, Kurt. I'd like to give you some fatherly advice, but I just can't see a way you would have known they would be there," Burt huffed. "I'm just glad you're okay. I'll be so happy when this trial is over."

"Dad, I'm fine. Thank goodness Blaine was there or I might not be. But I'm not letting these cowards get to me. I'll be more careful, stay away from situations like that, but I'm also not going to hide in my bedroom, under the covers," Kurt groused.

"Let's just get home. How was the week at the Lake House?"

"It was great!" Blaine crowed, happy to talk about something other than the fight. "We went fishing and caught these little fish called perch. We went on the swing and looked at the stars and made ice cream. Oh, and I did not hear a single car all week," Blaine grinned.

Burt laughed.

"Well, it sounds like a great time then. I'm sorry it ended on such a bad note. Carole has lunch waiting, let's just go home and relax the rest of the day. We have to be in the District Attorney's office on Monday morning."

"Now, Mr. Anderson. Can you describe the injuries you observed on Kurt Hummel when you found him on November third of last year?" District Attorney Lopez asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Blaine said in a clear voice. "There was a large gash to his head, going from the bridge of his nose about three inches into his hairline. It was bleeding a little and had quite a bit of crusted blood around it. It appeared to be infected, possibly from being so long without being seen to. In addition there were bruises along his ribs..."

The trial had started the day before and they had called witnesses to the beating along with kids that had seen Kurt leave the building. Today they were calling Blaine and several of the detectives that had been working on the investigation. Kurt was feeling sick. He had been going to school at McKinley since he got back, but he hadn't stepped foot in the part of the grounds where the beating had taken place. Finn told him it was still evident what had happened there. Kurt was sitting in the court room and had seen the photographs of the pools of blood they found. This afternoon they were going to go there to see it in person.

Burt told him he didn't have to go, but he felt like he needed to, so last night he and his dad, Finn, and Blaine went to look.

There was still yellow tape around the parking lot and bushes in the place they had hit him. Kurt walked over to the edge where he remembered dropping his phone into the bushes. There on the pavement were stains from all the blood. He shuddered and tried as hard as he could not to cry; but in the end, Blaine had pulled him close and held him. He let the tears come. Blaine kissed his cheek and gently turned him away for Burt to take and Kurt and his dad cried, holding on to each other for a long time.

Finally, they got back in the Navigator. Burt and Finn had worked on the SUV for weeks to make it look new again after it had been vandalized that night.

"Don't be sad, Dad. I'm still here. We Hummels are awfully tough, you know," Kurt said to his father.

"I know, son, I'm not sad. I'm crying because I'm so grateful you are still here with me," Burt told him.

Finn was standing near them, hands in his pockets, looking away. Kurt turned to him and held out his arms.

"Thank you, Finn. I am so happy to be here, home with my family." He said as he hugged his brother. They all climbed back in the SUV and drove back home.

The next day, Kurt was sitting in the courtroom between Blaine and Finn. Burt was behind him and leaned forward every once in a while to put a hand to his son's shoulder to comfort him. He was so proud of these three boys, looking past their fear to do the right thing. Court was called to order and the next witness called when a bailiff came in from the room where the prosecution and defense had been talking. The judge looked up, read the paper she'd been handed, pounded her gavel and the bailiff called the court to order once again.

"There has been a change in the case of the People Vs. Mason Madison and Azimio Adams..."


	16. Chapter 16 - Scherenschnitte

Kurt and Blaine were standing on the steps of the courthouse, trying to get past the reporters and all the protesters and crowds of people.

"Mr. Hummel, how do you feel about the plea bargain? Did you see this coming?"

"Mr. Hummel, do you think justice has been done?

"Kurt, Kurt! Look over here! We want a picture with Blaine!"

"Kurt Hummel, what are you going to do now that two of the perpetrators have been convicted by plea bargain?"

Burt left the courthouse, catching up with his son and taking his arm and Blaine's arm in his other hand. He tried to guide them down the steps past the cameras and people, but it was hard. Finally, Puck, Finn, Mike and a few policemen came to their rescue and held off the crowd as they got into a waiting van.

"Wow, that crowd is crazy!" Mercedes said, driving them away from the courthouse.

"Thank you for coming to get us," Burt said, relieved just to get away before they had to speak to anyone. He wasn't sure Kurt could take much more stress today.

They drove through the downtown area of Columbus where the trial had been moved due to improper influence.

"Well, I'm proud of the two of you, Kurt and Blaine. It was a hard thing you did, standing up for yourselves in the face of all of this. I don't know but what the protesters were the worst of the bunch. Such crazy fanatics. But since it is all over, I think it will all settle down now." Burt suggested.

"Who knew they would get the plea bargain in the final throes of the trial?" Kurt said, still a little stunned.

"Can you explain to me what a plea bargain is?" Blaine asked.

"It's when you are charged with a crime, but you agree to plead guilty to a lesser crime in exchange for not defending yourself. In this case it was when the DA offered to let Mason and Azimio plead guilty to felony battery instead of attempted murder. It is still a hate crime, but they'll be in prison a shorter period of time. The sentencing is set for two weeks, then the judge will decide how long they have to be in prison," Burt explained.

"So, what happened to Rick since he's under age?"

"He will be sentenced by a juvenile court judge. They have the option of trying him as an adult, in that case he'll have to stand trial the same as Azimio and Mason," Burt said.

"I can't help but feel sorry for all three of them, but they did bring it upon themselves. The whole thing is just so tragic," Mercy said.

"I agree. I am so tired of all of this, I want to hide for a week, in bed with my head under a pillow," Kurt lamented, leaning his forehead on Blaine's broad shoulder. Blaine patted his shoulder.

It was quiet the rest of the ride home.

They entered the courtroom one more time, Kurt holding his father's hand tightly. Blaine walking behind them. The room was crowded, but the reporters were kept away from them by the bailiffs. Kurt sat down between his father and Blaine, who took his hand for a moment and squeezed to let him know he was there.

The bailiff brought the court to order and the judge spoke for a few minutes. She asked if anyone wanted to speak and Kurt stood up as rehearsed. He walked up to the podium, shaking inside but appearing formal and serene to the people in the room and to the cameras focused on him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Honor. I am sad to be here today. Not because the two men that attacked me could be let go, but because I am sad that in this day and in this place, there has to be such hatred.

As a person that identifies himself as gay, I like to think of gay people as normal people. However, it is too often the case that the gay person is not thought of in those terms, and McKinley High School is a typical example.

When you look at a boy in high school you see someone that has interests: he may like football or swimming, he may like horror movies or gardening, he might be popular with a lot of girls or just a quiet kid that reads books. He might have blond hair or wear a football jersey. He might be identified by any number of characteristics. But if that boy is gay, he suddenly becomes one dimensional. It is suddenly all about his sexual orientation. Even if you don't immediately become disgusted with your own visions of him kissing another boy, you still see him as a sexual being and it becomes all about the sex...not about whether he likes gardening, football, or swimming. You see his clothing choices as being overly feminine or too fashionable. He ceased to be just a normal student – being out and being gay automatically makes most people think about how he and his boyfriend have sex.

You may deny that and find yourself thinking that you are more sensitive than most people walking around today. But, when you look at a gay couple are you thinking 'Hey, I wonder if they might like to go to the zoo together' – or are you thinking 'Hey, is that boy coercing the other one to have inappropriate sex with him'? Not that it's any of your business.

Think of this, though. If I were part of a typical high school heterosexual couple, we would be walking down the hall, probably holding hands, maybe a kiss at the door of the classroom as we part, or hug as we meet in the lunchroom. I see a hundred couples do that each and every week at McKinley. But if my boyfriend and I walk down the mall holding hands, there are whispers that follow us, people try to distract their children from noticing us, they pull away so they don't accidentally touch us, and sometimes we hear the hate as people pass by us and all we are doing is just standing with an arm thrown casually over the other's shoulder.

Do I have to tell you about the cases where a gay couple was hurt, attacked, even killed because they showed affection in public?

I am hoping that the attention this case has aroused in the public eye will serve to show that a gay person is first of all a person, deserving of respect and love just like every other person on this planet. I hope this case might clear a path for more gay people to be able to be comfortable in their environments, to be able to enjoy the freedom afforded others, not for special rights, but to have equal rights. We need to send a message, especially to the youth of this world, that it is okay to be who you are without fear of being beaten for it."

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel. If there are no more persons wishing to speak, we will proceed with sentencing..."

The camera continued to whirr and Kurt's speech was heard on newscasts across the country that evening.

The repercussions from the trial eventually faded. The men were sentenced and Rick was treated as a juvenile, so he went to juvenile detention instead of prison. The first few weeks at school were hard, but with time the school population forgot about it and things went back to normal. Of course, the jocks that had been involved in the fight in the convenience store parking lot hadn't forgotten how much they blamed Kurt for their friends being in prison, but that balanced with how they remembered Blaine and his punches and the terror that invoked in them. Basically, they were cowards, so they stayed away from Kurt and Blaine.

Dave Karofsky was still on the football team, but he hung around Finn, Mike, Puck, and Sam instead of the bullies that had harassed Kurt for so long. He did not 'come out' and although he never denied it, the rest of the football team probably didn't know he was gay. He was shy to come home with Finn to play video games with Kurt in the house, but Finn was persistent. One Friday, Kurt and Blaine came home to find Dave sitting with Puck, Finn, Mike, Artie, and Sam playing Super Smash Brothers.

"Oh, cool! Can I play?" Blaine asked as soon as he saw what they were playing. One thing he had just fallen in love with when he came to the Hummel house was video games. It wasn't as high on the list as the internet or Disney movies, but it was close.

"Sure, Dude, pull up a chair," Artie invited, smiling at Blaine.

"I'm going down to put our books away, Blaine. I'll be back in a few minutes," Kurt said, leaning over to get a kiss from his boyfriend before turning to pick up the pile of bookbags they had set down when they came in. Dave was standing there waiting for Kurt the bags already in his hands.

"Let me help you with these, okay?" Dave offered.

Kurt looked over to Blaine and they communicated in the way close couples have done since time began: Kurt asking if Blaine thought it would be okay, Blaine answering yes – if Kurt was comfortable with that but to let him know if anything wrong happened and Kurt agreeing to that. It was all done in a moment, no words needed and Kurt nodded his head to Dave.

"Okay, thank you, Dave."

Kurt led the way, Dave following. They walked in the room and Kurt indicated an overstuffed chair with brocade upholstery for Dave to sit in while he sat on the sofa facing him.

Dave looked around the room. There was the sofa and two overstuffed chairs on the west side of the room, a large flatscreen television fixed to the wall above a gas fireplace, a few scattered end tables and footstools. On the east end of the room was a queen sized bed with a dark forest green duvet accented by charcoal and gray pillow shams; a table on each side for lamps and things, a large trunk against the foot of the bed, two dressers against the north wall, a vanity with a large mirror and lights all around the mirror. On the south wall were two desks facing each other, each with a matching chair. There were beautiful landscape paintings on the walls in jewel tones.

"Nice room, Kurt," Dave commented, a bit anxious to be here in Kurt's bedroom with him. It was more like a studio apartment than it was just a bedroom, so that helped – Dave didn't have to sit on Kurt's bed.

"Thank you, Dave. But I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to look at my designing skills, so tell me what this is about," Kurt said, not keeping his temper in check very well. He was still apprehensive about having Dave in his house, much less alone with him in his bedroom.

"Well, I just wanted to talk to you, Kurt, to make sure you know I meant what I said that day in the parking lot. I do apologize for all the hurt I caused you. I don't have an excuse, I don't even understand it myself very well, except that I liked you so much but I was afraid of what I was feeling. I know it was wrong, but I didn't know how to fix it. I wanted you so badly, Kurt. I just wanted to hold you and kiss you..." he stopped at the look on Kurt's face.

"Sorry...that is inappropriate. Anyway, I wanted more and I knew I could never even ask you if I could hold your hand – so I got angry. I couldn't risk anyone seeing me looking at you, so I started bullying you instead. I'm going to counseling now, and it's helping me cope with all of ...all of this," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Dave. I don't hate you. I think we can work on being friends. I am so proud of you for all you've done towards helping yourself, and if I can do something along those lines, I'd be glad to do it," Kurt smiled at Dave, thinking to himself that when he was smiling he was a nice looking boy.

"I haven't really come out at school, and helping you in that fight didn't make everyone assume I was gay like I thought it would. I haven't gotten any grief from the guys on the team, other than the ones involved in the fight – and everyone knows they're first class jerks. It's been so much better since Finn, Puck, Mike and those guys have been inviting me to play video games and stuff," Dave gave Kurt a smile, but kept his head low.

"How are your parents taking it?" Kurt asked, remembering liking Paul Karofsky when he met him, in spite of his son's menacing.

"Mom doesn't say much, Dad is trying to be supportive. Neither one of them wants to admit that their football star son is gay. My sister seems okay with it – I told her during spring break when she came home from college for a visit. She asked me to spend the summer with her, and I think I'll go. She's up in Vancouver and has her own apartment. It will give me a chance to get away from here and just be myself," Dave shared.

"That sounds like a plan. I could sure use a vacation from here. I like my family, but you cannot imagine how much simpler life was when I was in Oregon. It was like a different world," Kurt said with a dreamy look in his eye.

"Does that have something to do with the very nice looking gentleman escorting you everywhere these days?" Dave asked, winking at Kurt.

Kurt blushed and nodded.

"It's nice to see someone can still blush in this day and age, Kurt. It might be why I was so attracted to you," Dave said, then quickly: "Oh, that was inappropriate. I'm sorry. You knew I was attracted to you, I told you, but I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable in your own home."

"It's okay, Dave. I accept your complement, and although I'm with Blaine, I can still be friends with you. If that's something you might like?" Kurt said, surprising himself.

"Yes, I'd like that very much. I do hope that one day I can find someone that looks at me the way Blaine looks at you," Dave said sincerely.

"I hope you do, too, Dave. Blaine is so special. I cannot imagine what I did in this world to deserve him. He's kind and gentle, but when it's needed he's fierce and protective," Kurt smiled, thinking of Blaine. "Just the simplest of kisses holds the promise of so much more, I can't stop wanting him, it's like a hunger," Kurt realized where he was and stopped abruptly. "Oh, I...I'm sorry, I didn't meant to go off on a tangent like that."

"It's okay, Kurt," Dave said, "I understand. After all the crap you've been through, you deserve a wonderful guy like that. I'm just sorry I was a part of that hurt. I want to make it up to you somehow."

"That isn't necessary. What you can do is work on making yourself happy. I think going to Canada this summer to be with your sister might be a step in the right direction. You told me you were seeing a therapist, how is that going?" Kurt asked.

"Fine. It was really hard at first, but I think I'm making progress. I still need to go, but it gets better all the time. Changing who I hang out with at school has helped, too. I mean, who would have thought guys like Finn and Sam would be my friends? But they are nice to me and they invited me to play video games. Things are changing," Dave smiled at Kurt and it went to his eyes.

Kurt tilted his head to the right, looking at Dave's eyes.

"You know, you have beautiful eyes, Dave. Really deep green with that expressive hazel brown. I don't know why you don't have a boyfriend – you have changed so much. You are nice and good looking. Don't give up hope, I know it will happen for you one day. I truly believe that," Kurt smiled back at Dave.

"Thanks, Kurt. That means a lot coming from you," he grinned, ducking his head. In someone else, Kurt might have thought that was an attempt to flirt, but he knew with Dave it was a deflection due to his shyness in this new environment.

They heard singing coming from upstairs and Kurt turned to listen.

_When you're down and troubled _

_and you need a helping hand  
and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right.  
Close your eyes and think of me _

_and soon I will be there to brighten _

_up even your darkest nights._

Kurt grinned. He turned back to Dave.

"That's the song we're doing in Glee club, I think I'll go up. Would you like to join me?"

"Yeah..." Dave said and began to sing himself:

_You just call out my name, _

_and you know where ever I am  
I'll come running to see you again.  
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, _

_all you have to do is call and I'll be there, yeah, yeah,  
you've got a friend._

"My stars, Dave, you have a wonderful voice! Why aren't you singing in Glee Club?"

Dave just shrugged his shoulders as Kurt joined him in the song as they walked up the stairs. It wasn't long before every eye in the group was staring at the voice they hadn't heard before – and smiling.

_Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? _

_People can be so cold.  
They'll hurt you and desert you. _

_Well, they'll take your soul if you let them,  
oh yeah, but don't you let them._

You just call out my name, 

_and you know where ever I am  
I'll come running to see you again.  
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, _

_all you have to do is call, Lord, I'll be there, yeah, yeah,  
you've got a friend. You've got a friend.  
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend. _

_Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.  
Oh, yeah, yeah, you've got a friend. _

"Oh, Dave! You have a wonderful tenor! You have to join the Glee Club!" He heard from everyone in the room.

"Please, we need someone else with a deep tenor and yours is like smooth chocolate, can you imagine him teamed up with Mercedes?" Artie was crowing, as if he had found this new talent. Finn clapped Dave on the back.

"I never thought of it. You know that I couldn't have before, but now? Yeah, I might just try," Dave said, looking around himself as if he couldn't believe they all liked his voice so much.

Kurt patted him on the back and he grasped Kurt's hand and shook it, giving him a wink. He might just be happy once again.

The next afternoon, Kurt was sitting on the sofa in his room, Blaine tucked in close as they watched The Little Mermaid once again. They weren't really paying it much attention, it was mainly on for background noise because Kurt didn't feel like getting his iPod to hook up to the speakers just then.

"So, why are we watching Little Mermaid again?" Blaine asked, kissing Kurt's neck before he laid back and got comfortable.

"Because you look like Prince Eric, of course," Kurt answered, pushing Blaine to scoot over so he was sitting behind him, Blaine's back against his chest. "Here, lean forward a sec..."

Blaine complied. Kurt pulled his polo shirt off and laid it beside them on the sofa. He reached over to get some oil, scented with chamomile and lavender, and poured a bit in his hand. He rubbed it between his hands and started massaging Blaine's neck, down to his shoulders and back.

"Why are you so tight? I mean tight can be good in some cases," Kurt kidded and got a giggle out of Blaine, "but you are just so tense. Let me help you with that."

His hands moved down the muscles, firm pressure down and soft strokes back up his spine. He moved out from there, rubbing each sore muscle in its turn as he hummed along with the song on the movie. Blaine was being very appreciative, first kind of humming but as the muscles in his back relaxed it turned into a moaning as the feeling got better and better.

"Whoa...didn't mean to walk in on something private.." Burt said as he covered his eyes before stepping into the room.

"No, Dad, I'm just rubbing his back. It is completely family friendly!" Kurt admonished his father. "Sheesh, Dad, I know how to close a door."

Blaine giggled.

"Hush, you!" Kurt said to him and slapped his back very softly.

"Hey, guys, I really didn't mean to interrupt, but Blaine got a big envelope from a college in Oregon, and it looked important," Burt said, waving the envelope in front of Blaine. Kurt leaned forward and snatched it quickly.

"This is the first one, wow..it begins now," Blaine grinned. It was like he was opening a Christmas present. He slit it open, Kurt hanging over his back to see.

"Hey, I've been accepted. But it wasn't my first choice. Let's see what happens in the next month. We applied to...what? Six colleges in Oregon. This was Concordia in Portland. Well, it's nice to know I've been accepted there." Blaine smiled back at Kurt, who had his own smile plastered on his face.

"Which others? I know we talked a lot about what the two of you want to do come fall, but did you end up applying to any together?" Burt asked. He'd talked this all over with the boys one weekend and they had narrowed their choices down to six.

"Pacific University in Forest Grove, University of Oregon in Eugene, Western Oregon U in Monmouth, Maryhurst, and Oregon State in Corvallis. We both applied to each of them – we want to stay together," Kurt answered, as if there had ever been any doubt they would go to the same college.

"Okay. Well, let's hope this is the first of many. I want you to have a choice," Burt told them.

Finn came running down the stairs, two at a time, rushing in to give his news.

"I got in! On the football scholarship I applied for! I got in!" he was jumping around the room in such excitement they were all speechless. When Finn had finally calmed down enough to speak, he announced, "I got the scholarship to play for Oregon State!"

"Whhhooooo!" Blaine and Kurt yelled. Oregon State was the college they wanted to go to, the others being far below in their estimation. Burt grinned.

"Well, let's celebrate. We can go to that nice Italian place, okay?" Burt said, jumping up to go tell Carole they would be going out that night for a celebration.

"Three cheers for Finn and his scholarship!" the Hummel family yelled as they sat down at the restaurant. Finn was grinning from ear to ear, his smile amazing. Kurt was so proud of his brother and had told him this numerous times on the way to Breadstix.

"They send out the scholarship letters a month in advance of the acceptance letters, so I'm not too worried," Kurt said, wiping the lasagna sauce from his lip. Blaine was watching him, which made him nervous for a moment, but he recovered.

"You're telling me that all three of you want to go to Oregon State?" Carole asked. She wanted them all to do what their hearts desired, but having all three boys way out on the west coast was a little unnerving.

"There's a forestry program there, and I think that's what I want to do," Blaine said, reaching over to hold Kurt's hand. "I can get back to where I want to be – in the woods in Oregon. Oh, not that I don't like it here, you have all been so nice to me, you are like my own family. I just miss my home."

"That's okay, Blaine," Burt patted his back, "I understand. We appreciate that you were willing to come so far to help Kurt. We will miss you when you go, but you know you always have a home with us, right?"

Blaine sniffed a little and wiped his face with his napkin. "Yes, I do know. Thank you."

"That makes sense to me, Blaine, but why do you want to go to Oregon State, Kurt?" Carole asked. Kurt looked at her with a bit of shock. When he didn't answer, she prodded some more.

"Well, I think you have more intelligence than to pick a school to attend just so you can be near your boyfriend. Are you going to study advanced tree hugging, too?" Carole continued, successfully concealing her smirk because it was fun to poke the bear sometimes.

Kurt's gasp could be heard across the restaurant. By this time, Blaine was trying to stifle his giggle and had leaned back where Kurt couldn't see him and Burt was studying a picture on the wall of a chianti bottle with melting candles.

"Carole! I'll have you know that Oregon State has a perfectly wonderful music department and I have applied for a scholarship in voice training. I might even take some forestry classes myself. I enjoyed my time in Oregon and I am interested in conservation," Kurt replied in his haughty tone, rolling his eyes.

That was it, Carole let loose with her suppressed laugh, which made everyone else laugh, too.

"Oh, et tu, Brute?" Kurt said to Blaine with a look of betrayal on his face, but Blaine pulled him close and kissed his cheek.

"No, honey, I would never make fun of you, but you have to admit that Carole really had you going there, right?"

"Hah. I knew all the time, I was just holding up my end of the joke," Kurt said, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Okay, whatever you need to tell yourself," Blaine patted his arm condescendingly.

By the time they left the restaurant they were all laughing, so happy for Finn and optimistic about all the boys attending the same college come fall.

It was close to Valentine's Day and Puck had called a few of his closest friends. He invited them to come to his house and do 'a Valentine's Day project', but wouldn't say anything more than that.

Kurt loved to go to Puck's house. Puck lived with his grandmother, Sofia, and although she was on her way to being elderly, she was a barrel of laughs. She was the best baker he knew and an event at her house meant delicious cookies and probably a lesson in some sort of history that was always fascinating.

Saturday morning at seven, he was ready to go and got in the SUV with Blaine and Finn, arriving at her door on time. Puck greeted his friends and invited them in, the smell of some type of pastry filling the air. This was the first time Blaine had been there and he fell in love with the house as soon as he walked in the door. It was like stepping through a time warp into 1935. All of the furniture was covered in old fashioned brocade, with antimacassars on each chair. The wall paper was light rose with a dusky pink pattern of cabbage roses that ended at the chair rail, wainscoting panels beneath. The floor lamps had beaded shades and there were heavy velvet drapes at each window, held back with tasseled ropes to let in the sun.

"Puck lives here?" Blaine whispered to Kurt, incredulous.

"Yep," Kurt grinned; he had the same thought the first time he'd walked in the house.

Puck led the way to the dining room where the walnut table was set with fine china and silver, crystal tumblers and linen napkins. Blaine's eyes lit up, but he looked at Kurt and saw this must be a typical setting as no one else looked surprised. They even had place cards.

"Please be seated, I'll just go and help Grandma," Puck said, leaving the room. Kurt followed him to give the bouquet of roses he had brought to Miss Sofia.

The door soon opened and a tiny woman came through, carrying a tray as big as herself. Kurt jumped up to help, but one look from Sofia and he sat back down. He'd had this battle with her before. Puck followed with another tray.

As they sat smiling at Grandma Sofia, she removed each dish and set it on the table to be passed. It started with eggs, bacon, handmade sausages, and fried tomatoes.

"Don't fill up on this, you need to save room for the best part," Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear as he passed the blood sausage to his boyfriend.

"Now, today I made our Kurt's favorite," Sofia announced.

"Altweiner Apfelstrudel!" Kurt crowed, his eyes getting huge as he saw the apple strudel on the plate, still warm from the oven. He stood up and hugged Sofia, giving her a kiss on her cheek, the blush showing on her paper-thin skin. She giggled and pushed him away.

"Sit down and eat, or I'll tell your daddy," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Kurt said and sat down. "Grandma Sofia, may I introduce my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson. Blaine, this is Miss Sofia Suder."

Blaine stood up and offered his hand, taking hers and kissing the back. "I am charmed to meet you, Miss Sofia," he said, smiling into her eyes.

"And you, Mr. Anderson. Now, may I call you Blaine? "

"Yes, ma'am," Blaine smiled.

"Now I also have Leipziger Lerchen the small almond sponge tarts, hamantash are these little three-cornered ones filled with poppyseed, and rugelach which are filled with apricots. I hope you enjoy," Sofia said as she sat down next to her grandson.

It was a delightful breakfast as everyone ate and chatted, laughed and told stories. Blaine thought it was probably the best time he'd had since he came to Lima.

After breakfast, Sofia allowed the boys to clean the table but insisted she could do the dishes herself. Kurt stayed and she allowed it, Kurt being her special friend. She enjoyed talking to him partly because she had known Burt when he was a boy.

When the others had left to play games in Puck's room, she gave Kurt her look, which meant he better spill the beans and not leave any details out.

"Yes, Miss Sofia, Blaine is my boyfriend. I know Puck told you about how I was put on a train and woke up in Oregon," he started.

"Yes, honey. But I want to know how you feel. Is this the one, the soulmate you have longed for? Because you will know when it's the right one for you," she gave him a knowing glance and picked up another plate to wash.

"It is, Miss Sofia. I love him so much. He didn't have to come here, he did it for me. It has been hard on him, he's not used to a city, he doesn't like all the noise and all the people that crowd him. Because he's gay, he gets bullied at my school and he had to endure so much. But he never complains, he just...endures. For me. How could I think he doesn't love me, too?" Kurt told her, being completely honest because he trusted Sofia and valued her opinion.

"This boy, this Blaine – he reminds me of my brother. His curly hair. Is it silky to the touch?" she asked, a far away look in her eyes. Kurt knew she lost her brother in WWII during the Nazi take-over of her little town in Poland.

"Yes, it is. He has soft skin and a warmth and kindness about him. I love everything about him," Kurt said, very serious.

"Ah, to be young and in love. I see how he looks at you, and how you look at him. Has it always been this way?"

"Yes, since the day I opened my eyes and he was standing over me, holding out his hand to me, I've never stopped feeling like this...like I'm dreaming and it's too good to be true. Like I want to curl up in a ball with him and make the rest of the world go away. I hope to spend the rest of my life with him," Kurt told his friend.

"I think you will, then. He's a good boy, I can tell," Sofia said, "Now, let us go and start the project for the day.

Kurt walked up the stairs to Puck's bedroom. It was like walking into a different house. His walls were painted a bright blue faded from light to dark, modern art prints on the walls. There were game consoles and flatscreens along one wall, with guitars and a drum kit on the far side. They must have gotten bored with Call of Duty because Finn was at the drums, playing softly. Blaine and Puck were strumming two guitars while they sang a song. Kurt grinned, happy to see how Blaine had become such a part of this group.

"Grandma Sofia would like us to go downstairs, the project is ready. Noah, do you have any idea what this project is?" Kurt asked, but Puck just shook his head.

Downstairs, Sofia sat at the table. At each place were a pair of very small, sharp scissors, paper, and a pencil. She waved for everyone to sit and began her lesson.

"When I was a girl, we didn't run to the store whenever we wanted something, we had to either work for it or make it ourselves. We paid more attention to holidays back then, too, I think. Because we did not have the same means of communicating back then, no internet, no social network or cell phones, we had to write letters or go to a person's house to talk to them. I think it was a simpler time – not better, but simpler. I am Jewish, but we did celebrate St Valentine's Day, not as a religious holiday, but for the fun of it. One of the things we did for St Valentine's Day was to give the boy or girl we liked a present. This is a traditional present shared by the children of my youth: it is called Scherenschnitte."

She brought out a box of paper, but not like the boys had ever seen before. The first one was brought out and all four boys stared. It was a piece of thin paper that had an entire scene cut out of it. Somewhat similar to cutting a paper snowflake, but it was a scene of a girl and boy kissing, each holding a heart behind their back. There were trees filled with leaves and little squirrels running along the branches; the flowers growing in the garden and a butterfly on the flower. It was intricate and beautiful. The box has about a dozen of the papers, each one cut from paper that was now over 70 years old. Some were just the cut picture, but some had been colored with either colored pencils or ink. Each one was a story unto itself: a forest of small animals and birds, a family with many children playing in the garden, two lovers dancing in the moonlight. A few were just the cut design, others were mounted on contrasting paper to bring out the design to better advantage.

"First you think of a scene, then draw it on a piece of paper. The hardest part is cutting so that you leave the picture. It takes practice and you will cut the paper in unintentional places, losing large parts of the picture, making you start over until it is right. Now, first draw the scene. Then, use the sharp scissors to cut it out." Sofia showed them a little of one she was working on and they all began drawing.

The rest of the morning was spent with giggles, singing, and concentrated drawing and cutting the paper designs.

"Miss Sofia, did you make all the designs in your box or were those given to you?" Blaine asked.

"Ah, a few were my work and I gave them to my husband or to a friend. One I made for my brother. But my favorite is the one of Alice in Wonderland in the forest that my brother made for me his last year, when we were happy together," Sofia said, smiling at the memory.

"That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Finn smiled at her, taking her hand for a moment. "I hope this one will turn out even half as well, I want to give it to Rachel."

Kurt giggled. Then Puck. Finn glared at them.

"Oh, and may I ask for whom are you making yours?" Finn said in a mocking way.

Both boys got red cheeks.

"Ah...for Lauren," Puck admitted and Finn shoved him on his shoulder, smirking. They both turned to Kurt.

"I'm not at liberty to say," Kurt answered, studiously not looking at Blaine. Blaine was doing the same.

"Oh, look at Finn's!" Puck said, leaning over Finn's work. "Hey, Dude, how did you get that so intricate with those big gorilla hands?"

Finn laughed. "Hey, did you think Rachel dates me because I'm the quarterback?"

Everyone dissolved in laughter, including Sofia. Upon hearing her laugh, Finn looked over – he had totally forgotten she was sitting there with them.

"Oh, Miss Sofia, I'm so sorry. That was rude of me..." Finn tried to apologize.

"No, no, my boy. Do not apologize, it was funny. I may be an old grandma, but I was young once and I would have rather had a sensitive boy who could do delicate work court me than one who was merely an athletic star," Sofia winked.

By lunch time, all of the boys had finished their creations, some enhanced by either pastel pencils or bright ink, and they cleaned up the table, ready to eat. Paper designs were placed on contrasting paper to bring out the details and slid into envelopes to take home.

After lunch the boys took their leave.

"It was so nice to meet you, Miss Sofia," Blaine said, once again kissing her hand before she gathered him in for a hug.

"Thank you for coming. Please don't be a stranger to my door," she returned.

"I had a wonderful time, as always," Finn told her, stooping his six foot four body down to her four foot eight for a kiss to her cheek.

"Goodbye, Miss Sofia, I had a lovely time and we hope to be back very soon," Kurt said, giving her pretty pink cheek a little kiss as he hugged her tight.

"You come back soon, my sweet, and tell your daddy to visit me. I'll bake him some gingerbread with lemon curd," she said, holding him in a hug for a few extra beats of her heart. She really loved this boy, as much as she did her own grandson.

They all waved as they got into the SUV and saw Puck, his arm around his grandmother, smiling.

After a delicious dinner and dessert of raspberries and strawberries in cream, Kurt and Blaine went down to the bedroom to go to sleep. There were shy looks between them and little smiles when they came together to get into the bed, already dressed in their pajamas.

"I made my Valentine Scherenschnitte for you, Blaine," Kurt said quietly as he handed the envelope to his boyfriend. Blaine smiled and handed his to Kurt.

"Me, too."

Kurt's present to Blaine was a white heart with rick-rac edge, the center filled with a tree and in the tree were birds. The one Blaine made for Kurt was very similar, but it was a forest scene with deer, birds, and rabbits to remind him of the days they spent in Oregon together.

"Kurt, this is the kind of thing I think we'll keep forever, just like Miss Sofia did, but in a treasure chest - and when we're old and need our memories to warm our hearts, we can take out that box of treasures and live this all over again," Blaine said to Kurt.

"That is why I love you, Blaine, and why we should never be parted."

"Goodnight, Kurt, I love you."

"And I love you, too, Blaine."


	17. Chapter 17 - Valentine and Satan

"Of course I want to go to the dance with you!" Blaine said, rather mystified why Kurt was so reluctant to ask in the first place.

They were going to the Valentine's dance and then an after party at Santana's house. Blaine was overjoyed because he'd never been to a dance before and he was anxious to dance with all his friends. Kurt, however hadn't been to a dance since he'd been attacked and it brought back so many memories it was hard to even think about. He wanted Blaine to have all the fun he could in his only year of high school, but he was just plain scared.

"What do you want me to wear?" Blaine asked. He found that it was so much easier in his life to just ask Kurt what he should wear. If it was left to him, he would pick what he thought looked nice, was comfortable, and was easy to put on and take off. It was inevitable that Kurt would smile _that smile_ at him, and tell him he looked nice. Then would come the tiny little suggestions. "Maybe if we traded the teal shirt for a lighter color...here, this pearl gray would be nice!", and as soon as he put the outfit back on...minus the teal shirt and plus the pearl gray...Kurt would make another tiny suggestion. By the time he was done with the 'suggestions', he'd be wearing layers of a very different outfit.

"Oh, whatever you choose would be wonderful, I'm sure," Kurt said. Blaine wasn't buying it. At all.

"No, honey, I want to look my best for you!" he followed with. He had to be careful here, because if he handled it wrong, he'd end up at Abercrombie & Fitch or Lord & Taylor for the afternoon.

"Well, let's look and see what we have to work with, okay?" Kurt grinned. He loved dressing his boyfriend. They went down to the basement and Kurt pushed open the big doors of the closet.

"I know the perfect start...the new charcoal Viktor and Rolf trousers with matching vest I got you for Valentine's Day, paired with a dark purple silk button down shirt, and the leather pilot jacket we bought last week," Kurt began, that look of delight on his face.

"You love dressing me, didn't you have a Barbie doll when you were a kid?" Blaine teased him.

"No, I did not. Ken never had enough clothes to bother with, and I didn't like dresses. Now, put those clothes on, I want to see them before we switch the jacket," Kurt grinned.

Blaine dutifully dressed in the things Kurt had set out. When he was all done, Kurt's eyes lit up.

"I don't think I'll have to change a thing! Just add a tie – bow or traditional, maybe a cravat? And the shoes. You look gorgeous, Blaine, you really do," Kurt cooed, putting his arms carefully around his boyfriend so as not to wrinkle him.

"I would like a bow tie, thank you. How about that black one with the graphic pattern in white? The one with music notes in gold? Then, the black shoes..the ones that don't hurt my feet. I want to dance all night with you. Annnndddd..you look pretty gorgeous yourself, my sweet Kurt. Come here and let me kiss you," Blaine smiled a tender smile because he was thinking about how much he loved Kurt. Not in spite of his strange quirks, but because of them.

The night of the Valentine Dance, Kurt was really nervous. He knew it would be fine, he was with Blaine and all of the New Directions would be there, including Dave Karofsky. He and Dave had become friends, albeit not close friends, since joining the New Directions. Kurt had overseen Blaine getting dressed and was now debating on his final choice. It was similar to Blaine's, but with a light blue shirt and his bow tie was a negative of Blaine's, white with black graphics and gold music notes. His butter-soft leather coat was car length instead of pilot, but they coordinated very nicely. After an afternoon shopping with Rachel, Blaine had come home with a small package for Kurt.

"It's just a little present, for Valentine's Day," Blaine said shyly, handing the little box over to Kurt.

Kurt gently loosened the tape and removed the shiny red paper. Inside the box was a brooch in the shape of a constellation of stars. It was a silver rim around a cut crystal disc, etched with the image of Orion's Belt in stars. Kurt's eyes got huge and he blinked back tears to see something so beautiful.

"Oh, Blaine, this is wonderful...it's spectacular! Oh, it's just perfect," and he hugged Blaine's neck and kissed his cheek. "Can you put it on me?"

Blaine pinned it to Kurt's lapel, smiling at how much Kurt liked his present. Wasn't Kurt's just the best thing in the world?

They arrived at the dance with Finn and Rachel, all ready to have a good time. Kurt had been really apprehensive, having what amounted to flashbacks on the way to the dance. He had asked Finn to drive, which should have been a clue to his state of mind: Kurt never asked Finn to drive. Blaine was so excited, he didn't really notice how Kurt was reacting until they got to the school and Kurt stayed in the car.

"Kurt, we're here. What's wrong?" Blaine finally asked, confused about the look on Kurt's face. Kurt was flushed and a little shaky, not talking. He shook his head 'no', and didn't even unbuckle his seat belt. Finn turned to see what the hold up was, and took one look at Kurt and realized exactly what was going on.

"Blaine, if you could keep Rachel company, I'll talk to my brother. Okay?" Finn asked, but it really wasn't a question. He walked around the SUV and got in the back seat next to Kurt.

"Hey, are you okay, buddy?" Finn asked.

"Ah...I don't know," Kurt said, honestly.

"You know you don't have to go. I'll take you back home if this feels like too much, Kurt. Nobody will think less of you. Blaine can stay here with Rachel, and I will take you straight home. Okay?" Finn asked, taking Kurt's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I'll let everyone down. Maybe I can do that, Finn, but I'm scared. I just don't know if I can do it," Kurt said, his voice getting softer and his head hanging.

"Rachel?" Blaine said, his voice getting shaky. "Wh..what's wrong with Kurt? Shouldn't I go to him?"

"Blaine, you knew he was attacked at a school dance, right?" Rachel asked, taking his hand to calm him.

"Oh...I never thought. It was here, wasn't it?" the pieces fit themselves together and Blaine got a horrible feeling of guilt. Kurt would never have agreed to come to this dance unless Blaine had asked him and been so excited. It was his fault that Kurt was still sitting in the back of the SUV with his brother. It was his fault that Finn was the one offering Kurt comfort instead of himself.

"Yes. He was parked on the other side, but it was in the gym, same as this dance. Blaine, he won't blame you, sweetheart. He won't. I know Kurt and he would never push his problems off onto you. I know Finn is helping him, but you're the one he loves. Just go to him," Rachel told the sad boy, petting him on his arm and reaching up to give him a kiss on his cheek, "He needs you."

Blaine waked over to the door and opened it.

"Excuse me. Finn, thank you so much, but I think maybe I need to talk to Kurt. Okay?" he asked, very polite but his entire being shouted "Mine!" Finn recognized this and smiled at Blaine.

"Yeah, I'll be here if you need me, thanks Blaine. I'm here for you, too, Kurt. I'm not leaving you," Finn took Kurt by the shoulder and gave him a hug before leaving the SUV.

Blaine stood next to where Kurt was still seated, his seatbelt secured.

"Kurt, I owe you an apology. I am the most self-absorbed prick in all of Ohio. I forgot that you had issues about going to dances at this school, and I feel so badly that I let my enthusiasm for going overshadow your needs. I was absolutely blind, and I am sorry. Can you forgive me?" Blaine asked, looking so sad that Kurt felt like crying. Now not only was he scared to step foot in the gym, he had let down the one person he cared about most in the world. He wanted to crawl under a rock.

"Oh, Blaine, I'm so sorry. I think I'll be okay. Can you hold me, maybe for just a moment?" Kurt asked in his high-pitched voice, the stress and anxiety making it so much higher, and he hated that.

Blaine didn't say anything, just stepped closer and put his arms around Kurt, putting his cheek on Kurt's cheek, wrapping him in his arms as close as he could get considering their circumstances. He felt a shudder and sigh, but didn't let go.

Kurt broke the embrace, took a big breath, and announced: "Okay, I'm ready. I am not going to let the bullies win today. I'm going in there and have the best time I've ever had because here I am with my brother, my best friend, and my Blaine. What more could anyone ask for?"

He got out of the Navigator, pasted a smile on his face and took Blaine's proffered arm.

They walked a short ways, Rachel catching Kurt's arm so they walked four abreast when Kurt heard a quiet voice singing beside him.

"_We're offff to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz, we hear he is a wiz of a wiz if ever a wiz that was..."_

Kurt joined in, then Finn and finally Blaine as they sang the old standard, and grins broke out on all of their faces as they got louder.

"_If ever, ever a wiz that was the Wizard of Oz is one because...because, because, because, because, because...because of the wonderful things he does!"_

By the time they reached the doors, they'd been joined by several of the New Directions and were all laughing when they entered the gymnasium.

The dance was actually a lot of fun for Kurt. He danced with Blaine and when Rachel asked Blaine, Kurt danced with Finn, then Brittany, and Tina. He was sitting in a chair when a hand touched his shoulder.

"I hope you saved a slow dance for me?" and he looked into the toffee colored eyes of another of his dearest friends: Mercedes was standing there in a golden gown, sleeveless and low cut but very tasteful. The golden brushed satin made her skin glow and her eyes sparkle, and Kurt just had to dance with this vision of loveliness.

"Yes, Mercy, I saved one for my best girl. Shall we?" he said as he kissed her hand and followed her to the dance floor. It was a night of vintage songs and he smiled as the band started Chicago's 'Color My World'.

They danced, holding each other close, until the end and Mercedes kissed him on the cheek, telling Kurt how much she enjoyed the dance.  
"It was a good dance, my friend, we should do it more often," Kurt said, giving her a hug. Mercedes looked over his shoulder, "I think someone is waiting for the last dance, Boo," and she took Kurt's hand and placed it in Blaine's.

"May I have this dance? I asked the DJ to play a special song for us," Blaine said softly. Kurt stepped closer and smiled.

"Yes, I was saving the last dance for you, my love," Kurt said to Blaine as he buried his nose in Blaine's neck and smiled to be with his love.

The record began to play and Blaine stepped onto the dance floor with Kurt in his arms, singing softly as they floated across the dance floor:

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
While you're far away and dreaming  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
I could stay lost in this moment forever  
Where every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure_

Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing

Lying close to you feeling your heart beating  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
Wondering if it's me you're seeing  
Then I kiss your eyes  
And thank God we're together  
I just want to stay with you in this moment forever  
Forever and ever

I don't want to miss one smile  
I don't want to miss one kiss  
I just want to be with you  
Right here with you, just like this  
I just want to hold you close  
Feel your heart so close to mine  
And just stay here in this moment  
For all the rest of time Yeah yeah yeah

I don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
Cause I'd miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
Cause even when I dream of you  
The sweetest dream will never do  
I'd still miss you babe  
And I don't want to miss a thing

"Every word of that song is true, my sweet Kurt, I never want to miss a thing with you. I love you," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear as the song ended and they left the dance floor. They were so wrapped up in each other, they didn't see some of the boys from the parking lot fight walk near them. Boyd, Les, and Roger were there, walking along the side of the dance floor. They had been watching the couple dance and were now ready to start something because they knew the dance was over. What better time to cause trouble than when everyone was distracted by getting ready to go.

As Blaine and Kurt walked through the crowd, their friends surrounded them. All of the New Directions were there and placed themselves around the couple. Dave especially made it his business to walk there, staring Les in the eyes as he went along. The three bullies got the hint and went in the other direction, leaving Kurt and Blaine in peace.

Just as they were getting ready to leave, Santana walked over to the boys. "You are coming to my afterparty, right?"

"Of course, Satan, we'll be glad to come. Looking forward to it as a matter of fact," Kurt grinned at her. The dance had gone so well, he wasn't stressing anymore, so he thought her party would be a nice end to the evening.

They got to the Navigator, all of the New Directions kids walking together, so there was no trouble. They all went to Santana's house where she had arranged to have her sisters and brothers gone for the evening and her parents were on vacation. Everyone went to the basement where she and Brittany had put up decorations. The kids all crowded into the room, but it wasn't too small, there was enough room for dancing and having fun. A bar was set up on a table and soon Artie and Puck were mixing and pouring drinks for everyone.

Santana turned on the stereo and there were requests for songs, everyone had a drink in hand and Santana called,"Let the party begin!"

They all toasted her.

The group all knew each other very well, and there was no hesitation as they started dancing and talking and flirting. It was a great time.

After an hour of dancing and making out and little side games, Santana called them all to the center of the room to sit. Most of them had brought a change of clothes from the formal Valentine's Day dance and changed into more comfortable clothes for this party. A lot of the kids had been drinking, some much more than others, but a few were designated drivers and had no alcohol for the evening.

"Okay, listen to Auntie Tana! We're going to play 'Seven Minutes In Heaven'! I am going to start by spinning the bottle. When it lands, we're going to lock the couple in the linen cupboard for seven minutes. There are no re-spins, no matter who you get. Boys, girls, brothers, whatever...no trading. So, who's first?"

She spun the empty bottle on the table and it pointed to Artie, who smiled. "Will my chair fit in the closet?" he asked, but Tana assured him it would.

"Okay, for the first seven minutes, we have," and she gave the bottle a spin. "Rachel!"

Rachel jumped and the look of shock on her face was comical.

"C'mon, you sweet thing, you," Artie kidded as he headed over to the linen closet. Tana was there and as soon as the two of them were in the closet, she closed the door and locked it, grinning. Several people came over to put their ears to the door to see if they could detect anything. They were not disappointed as smacking sounds of lips came through the door.

Seven minutes later, they emerged, lips red and swollen, Rachel's blouse a bit wrinkled and a smile on Artie's face.

"Well, how was it?" Brittany asked.

"I don't kiss and tell," Artie grinned, apparently quite pleased with himself. Rachel just smiled and went to sit with Finn.

Santana was already spinning. "Blaine."

She spun again as Blaine looked at Kurt, a question on his lips, but Kurt whispered in his ear and he looked at him again, shrugging his shoulders, to which Kurt just smiled at him. The bottle stopped spinning...Sam.

Santana locked them in.

"I've never played this before, Sam, I'm sorry, you don't have to kiss me," Blaine said, wishing he was anywhere else.

"I'm not complaining. It's a part of the game, Blaine, and I don't mind. Come here," and he placed a very chaste kiss on Blaine's lips. Blaine kissed back in reflex, leaning in a tiny bit and Sam kept it up, his warm lips massaging Blaine's. Blaine touched the front of Sam's shirt, stroking his pecs and Sam kissed a little deeper, but no tongue. He recognized limits and as curious as he was, this was fine. The time was up quickly and they emerged from the closet quietly, smiling at each other, but went back to their dates. Blaine dipped Kurt back in his arms to give him a deep movie-star kiss, which set Sam to giggling.

"Hey, I wasn't THAT bad!" Sam said in his own defense, which set Blaine to giggling, too.

"Next up, Finn and...oh no." Santana was quiet as the bottle stopped directly at Brittany. Britt got up, grabbed Finn's hand and headed for the closet. Puck put his hand on Santana's wrist.

"You made up the rules, Tana. It'll be okay," in a voice only she could hear. Santana took a big breath and smiled, set the timer and closed the door. There was quite a long silence as the two of them just looked at each other, then Brittany began to giggle.

"You know it's good it's you, Finn. She would kick anyone else to the moon, but I think she's a little intimidated by you. We're here to kiss, so let's just do that and be thankful it isn't spin the bottle, because I don't think she could take me kissing somebody else in front of her," Britt said. She slid into his lap and placed her lips on Finn's, sliding her tongue over his bottom lip. He jumped a little, then kissed her back, his tongue entering her mouth. She took his hand and moved it under her shirt while his eyes got huge, and he hesitated – but Brittany gave a little moan into his mouth, whining when he stopped caressing her breast. All he could think was that he had dated Rachel for eight months before he got this far, and here he was, his hand up Britt's shirt and his tongue in her mouth. And she appeared to be enjoying herself. He was still blinking in shock when Santana threw open the door to say their seven minutes was over.

Brittany kissed her on the way out of the closet and grinned to everyone else, adjusting her blouse. Santana just stared at that, shook her head and spun the bottle.

"Oh, I know I should have installed cameras! Okay, it's Mercedes and Rory!" she called over the general laughter.

Rory was bounding across the room to jump in the closet, Mercedes, a little more than tipsy, was right behind him, saying, "Once you go black, you never go back, baby. I hope you're ready for me!"

There was quite a bit of noise from the closet, cooing and sighing and lips smacking before Santana called time. She opened the door to find they were in a deep kiss.

"Hey, your seven minutes is up, hop on out of there, we have more people waiting!" Santana said.

After a person was in 'Heaven', they had to move out of the circle, so the number still playing had dwindled. The remaining participants were eying each other with trepidation when Santana spun. "Joe...and Sugar!"

Both of them grinned at each other, traipsing into the linen cupboard and waiting for Santana to close the door. There was much more noise with this couple than any before, panting and growling...until Santana opened the door to find them sitting with their backs together, just making noises and laughing at the people crowded around to see what was going on.

They were down to six people. The bottle spun and landed on Lauren.

"I'm not playing unless it lands on Puckerman," she grouched, giving them all a dirty look and crossing her arms. "And, I'll spin it myself. Santana has probably been playing spin the bottle since she was two years old and knows how to make it land on anyone she wants."

Santana gave her a dark look, but didn't argue and handed the bottle over. Lauren spun it. It didn't land on Puck.

"I'll take that," she smiled and grabbed the hand of the boy it landed on, pushing him ahead of her into the closet and closing the door with a bang. Blaine rushed over, but it was too late.

Kurt found himself in the dark with the softest lips imaginable caressing his in the best possible way. From the second he saw the bottle stop in front of him, he had stopped thinking. She had said nobody would do but Noah, and he thought himself safe...but apparently he was a good enough substitute, so here he found himself on the receiving end of one of the best kisses of his life. She didn't let up for an instant, kissing deeper and cupping his jaw until he kissed back with as much fervor as she was dishing out. He finally pulled back for a moment, trying to catch his breath. She just smiled.

"Didn't expect that, did you, Hummel?" she said.

"Ah...no. Ah...Lauren? You do know I'm gay, right?" Kurt stammered.

"I won't hold it against you, cookie. Now get back here, I want my entire seven minutes. Don't worry, I'll leave a little for your boyfriend. Wouldn't want to ruin a good thing for you," she said, then leaned forward to lock his lips again. Against his nature, he found himself leaning forward to touch her lips again. They were warm and soft and talented. He sighed into the kiss as she ran her hands down his arms, then around his waist. He began to worry just what Blaine would think - -but realized Blaine had been in here for his seven minutes with Sam. Kurt knew Blaine had watched Sam from across the room sometimes in school. He was very aware of Blaine at most times and although he wouldn't say anything, he was a teensy bit jealous that Blaine would look at Sam so often.

He should never have let his mind wander because now she had her tongue in his mouth and he did not remember how that happened. But it felt nice and she must have kissed a lot to learn to do it this well. He felt himself getting hard, but dismissed it. No way. He was not attracted to girls. He could appreciate them, be friends with them, admire them, but get turned on by them? Never. His body seemed to think otherwise and he continued to get harder and pressed himself against her, just for a moment. That turned into a longer moment.

"Well, that was unexpected, here I didn't think you had it in you, Hummel, but you're proving me wrong, gorgeous," Lauren whispered.

"No, Lauren. I like you, but I am completely gay. Absolutely, I don't know what's going on," he sounded bewildered.

"You, my friend, are drunk. And your body has forgotten the difference. You have two choices. We can just kiss a few more times and you can cool that jet down before Blaine sees it, or I can take care of it for you before they open the door. Make up your mind quickly," Lauren proposed, palming him gently through his tight jeans. What she didn't realize was that Kurt had taken no alcohol that evening.

"I have to calm down. I do like you, Lauren, but I don't know how long that will last if I give in. I don't think I'd like myself very much in the morning if I acted on this one insane moment. Thank you anyway, you are a good friend to realize that I may not be in my right mind right now and choose not to take advantage of me," Kurt droned on, feeling light-headed, but wondering why since he had actually decided not to drink any alcohol. However, he thought it best to keep that little secret to himself for now. He thought of Blaine, and having to explain this to him and it calmed his body down in the process.

"It's okay, Kurt. I want another kiss to make it up to me, though," she smiled and gave him one last squeeze before letting go of his bulge. He whined a little as he moved his hips farther away from her, almost reluctantly.

He smiled at her and she kissed him one more time, another Earth-shattering wonderful kiss that lasted a long time, but he was able to get his body to obey him and they were ready when the door opened.

Santana took one look and her eyes got huge. "Prancing Pony, what have you been up to, you little minx. Who knew you had it in you?" she proclaimed. His shirt buttons were undone from the top almost to his belly, and several large purple love bites were in plain view. At least six people were standing there and gasped as Kurt grabbed his shirt and hurried over to Blaine, who stepped back for a second, then with a funny look in his eye, took Kurt's hand and marched from the room through a door at the far end of the basement.

He managed to keep a straight face until he got in the room and the two boys gasped and tried their best not to squeal with laughter.

"They all think Lauren gave me these love bites now," Kurt laughed.

"And now they think I brought you in here to have a private fight!" Blaine giggled. He pulled Kurt close and kissed him thoroughly.

"Well, how was it?" he asked Kurt.

"Actually, it was a bit disconcerting. If I didn't have you, my dear, I might have had an affair with that girl. Man, she can kiss! I need to take lessons from her," Kurt said, and Blaine looked into his eyes to gauge his truth. Kurt remained inscrutable and Blaine, with several drinks in him, was unsure of how serious Kurt might be.

"Kurt?" Blaine looked like he was going to cry. "I did kiss Sam, but it was just a chaste kiss, and it didn't last long, and I didn't enjoy it..."

Kurt realized how serious Blaine looked and took pity on him.

"Yes, I kissed Lauren, and she is an amazing kisser...but she can't hold a candle to you, Blaine. Nobody can hold a candle to you. Now, let's have our own seven minutes..." and he took Blaine's cheek in his hand to hold him steady. He began with tiny little pecks across Blaine's nose, making him giggle. Then he kissed his neck, sweetly, giving him little licks until he heard Blaine sigh and start to breathe deeper, closing the gap between them as he put his arms around Kurt.

Kurt kissed Blaine's temple, stroking his cheek and murmuring sweet things to him before just touching his lips to Blaine's – not kissing, just a tender touch and sliding away. Blaine followed him, a tiny sound in his throat indicating the loss, the want for more. Kurt's lips, soft and moist, were back, his eyes closed and this time he kissed Blaine. Blaine kissed back, energetically, and Kurt pushed Blaine down on the...oh, it was a bed. He hadn't even seen what room they had entered. Okay. He pushed Blaine very gently onto the bed, holding him so he didn't just fall. He took off the tie Blaine was wearing, unbuttoning the first few buttons so he could kiss his neck, his collarbone, and down a little bit of his chest. Wet, warm kisses and Blaine melted into the sensation. Then Kurt was back kissing his mouth, this time deeper, his tongue soft against Blaine's as he sighed his happiness and brought Blaine to a new awareness of the boy next to him.

This was happiness, this was bliss. Being touched, kissed, loved by Kurt. He moved his arm from around Kurt's shoulder and stroked down his shirt, over his hip, and rested on Kurt's spectacular ass. The muscles there twitched, and at first Blaine thought he was pulling away, but then he realized that Kurt was just moving closer to him, moving on top of him. Blaine shifted his leg so Kurt was between them.

He could never have imagined how this could feel, having someone he not only loved on an emotional level, but someone he was so attracted to that his heart pounded in his chest when he saw Kurt turn a corner at the other end of the corridor at school. He had experienced erections from the onset of puberty like any healthy boy, but the extra thrill he felt that sent blood pounding to his loins when he thought about Kurt was amazing to him. How could mere thought make his body react so quickly, so completely? But here was the evidence. There was a room full of people, just a few steps away, and the door to this room was not locked, yet he was hard and panting and ready for anything Kurt might want from him.

Blaine dragged his mind back to the situation in front of him. Just those few moments thinking about how erotic Kurt could be had brought Blaine to a state of arousal that he had to act on, right now. He flipped on top of Kurt, rutting his hard, aching erection on Kurt's thigh, needing some kind of relief. Right now. He was seeing red, his vision clouded by his want and need, fueled by enough alcohol to increase his desire but not enough to dampen his ability.

"Oh, Kurt...please, Kurt...I want you so bad, I want to come, I have to come..help me, please," Blaine spoke into Kurt's neck as he rubbed himself into Kurt's body. He was almost in tears he wanted it so bad.

"Hey, hey...Blaine? Are you okay?" Kurt asked, but Blaine only redoubled his efforts, rubbing Kurt's erection through his jeans, begging him to let him come. This was starting to scare Kurt, he'd never seen Blaine so upset. He wanted to see this to it's spurting, hot, blazing conclusion – but this was not the time or place. There was no guarantee of privacy and looking around, Kurt realized that this was Sanatana's little sisters' room. It was decorated in Barbie pink with My Little Pony and Disney Princesses. He would not, could not, have sex in this room on a little girl's bed.

"Blaine, stop," Kurt said, gently but firmly. Blaine didn't stop for a moment, tears in his eyes as he rutted against Kurt, still begging for Kurt to give him more. It broke Kurt's heart, he would do anything to give Blaine what he wanted, but this was not the place.

"Baby, c'mere," Kurt cooed, backing away and taking the shuddering Blaine into his arms, but moved his hips away. Blaine grabbed Kurt, a little roughly, and jerked him back. "Hey, now...what's going on, baby?"

Kurt began stroking Blaine's arms, then rubbing his temple, trying to calm him down. Blaine finally heaved a big sigh and shuddered, loosening his grip on Kurt and backing away so a few inches of air appeared between them. Kurt tried to look into Blaine's eyes to gauge just how upset he was and was shocked at what he found there.

"Blaine? Oh, baby..tell me what's wrong..." Kurt coaxed, as Blaine wiped tears from his face.

"Kurt? You're mine, right? I mean, you...oh, Kurt, I love you and I don't think I can share you..." Blaine sniffed.

"Oh, you mean my kissing Lauren? Blaine, it was a game. I don't love Lauren, I love you. I'm sorry I said she was a good kisser. Whether or not she was, it doesn't matter one little bit because it didn't mean a thing. Do you understand? Honey, you're drunk and I think we need to get back in to the party and talk about this when we get home. Don't you think so?" Kurt asked, petting Blaine's curls and leaving tiny kisses on his face and neck.

"You're so right, Kurt. I am drunk, and now I don't feel well. All I want is to take you home and snuggle you all night. I don't want anyone to take you away from me. I never want you to leave me, Kurt. Never, ever," Blaine said, getting sleepy now. He yawned and mumbled, "You are MINE."

Kurt thought he had better get Blaine out of here, and thought he might have to get Finn to help him to the car. He put his arm around Blaine, helping him up off the bed and they went back into the party.

All chaos had broken loose. There was shouting and all kinds of laughing and giggles, accompanied by whispers and pointing.

Mercedes came over to Kurt, steering him and Blaine over to a sofa when she saw Blaine staggering.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe what happened...Santana spun to see who was next in heaven and it stopped on Mike. He was smiling at Tina, I guess thinking she would be it because there were only four people left anyway...Santana, Tina, Mike and Puck. Well, it landed on Santana and she went into the closet with Mike. Well, the noises were delicious! It sounded like cats were mating in that closet and Tina got really upset. She wanted to open the door, Santana was moaning and Mike was, too.

By the time the seven minutes was up, Tina was livid. Mike came out and she grabbed his shirt, popping off all the buttons. He was covered with love bites and when she saw that, Tina was just standing there, staring. Santana walked right by her, pulling the collar of her shirt down enough for Tina – and everyone else – to see she had them all over her neck and chest. Tina didn't say a word, just grabbed Puck and dragged him into the closet.

Kurt's eyebrows were raised to his hairline as the sounds of something...sexual...were coming from the closet. Both Tina and Puck were very drunk, and Tina was absolutely steaming mad. Not a good combination. It was hard to tell what she might do under those circumstances. Tina might appear to be quiet and passive, but Kurt had seen her past her breaking point before and he thought they had best try to intervene.

He looked at Blaine, but his boyfriend was dozing on the sofa. Kurt patted his arm and walked over to the closet door. He put his ear to it, and the sounds that were coming were not reassuring. At all. Kurt knocked, then again, louder.

"Kick the damn door in," Mike shouted from where several people were holding him back across the room.

"Tina? Are you okay, Tina?" Kurt asked.

"Go away, we're busy," her drunk voice came. "Who is that? Kurt? Go home Kurt, leave me alone."

"Puck, be reasonable, you know she's drunk. Come out."

"Hey, go get your own. You were making pretty good time with my girlfriend, Hummel, so let me have some now," Puck shouted, and then the noises got a lot quieter.

Kurt knocked again. "Noah, just come open the door. I think this has gone far enough." He tried to open the door, but Puck had tied his shoestring through the slats on the other side of the door and Kurt couldn't get it open. He looked around. "Finn, do you have a pocket knife?"

"Yeah, here, let me help you," he offered and produced a small Swiss Army knife. Kurt sawed through the strings and the door opened.

Kurt was the first one in, and he pulled the door closed behind him – right in Finn's face. Tina was sitting on Puck's lap, her blouse on the floor next to her bra and Puck's hand up her skirt. She was almost passed out, swaying back and forth and crying.

"Tina, here, let me help you," Kurt said gently, picking up her blouse from the floor. He glared at Puck, who shrugged his shoulders and looked at Tina – only then registering that she was quietly crying. He pulled back, a funny look on his face, like regret. Kurt coaxed Tina to stand up and he put her blouse on her, buttoning up the small buttons and taking her bra, stuffing it in his jacket pocket. He was not up to trying to put that on her. With Tina this drunk, it would be like hammering jello to a tree. He tucked in her blouse so she looked less...disheveled.

"Tina, honey, are you okay?" he asked, worried.

"No. Mike was with Santana! He's covered with hickeys, just like you were when you came out of here. Covered with her mouth! He's my boyfriend, not that slutty Santana's," Tina sobbed. She stopped after a moment, looking at Kurt. "How could you let Lauren do that to you, Kurt? You didn't even have a drink. What were you thinking?"

"She didn't. She only kissed me, then right before we came out she unbuttoned my shirt as a joke, the love bites were from earlier. They were from Blaine. When he took me out of the room, we were just kidding...he knew Lauren didn't do it. Honey, let me take you home. You and Mike have both had too much to drink and I'm driving you home. You'll see – everything will be better in the light of day."

Kurt gave her one last look to make sure she looked decent and then turned to Puck.

"Noah, are you okay?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Tina. I didn't mean to go so far, are you okay? You should have said something," he said, looking upset and sad.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too" she replied.

"Thanks, Kurt. I have a ride home – Lauren isn't drinking, so she can take anyone else home that needs a ride. She has a van. Get poor Blaine home, he looked bad earlier, he came and sat by me when you were in here with Lauren. I don't think he really understood the game, and he was really drunk," Puck said.

"What's Grandma Sofia going to say?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing. I told her I was staying with you. I'll be fine in the morning, but I'm going to Lauren's and sleep on their couch. Thanks for caring, Kurt. And I'll deny I said that in the morning..."

Kurt opened the door, gently guiding Tina into Finn's arms. He and Rachel took her over to a sofa to sit.

"Mike, give me your car keys," Kurt said, holding out his hand. Mike took them out of his pocket and dropped them in Kurt's hand. "We're going to give you a ride home. Ready to go?"

Mike nodded and got his coat.

They all made their way to the Navigator and got it loaded. Blaine was still very sleepy and practically climbed into Kurt's lap, his arms tight around him and his head on Kurt's shoulder. They had to pull him into the seat to get his seatbelt on him, but he was asleep by then. Finn drove, dropped off Rachel and Tina at Rachel's house, then Mike at his house. Finn walked him inside where his brother took charge of him, shaking his head at Mike's drunken behavior.

They were finally home and Finn picked up a sleeping Blaine, carrying him down to Kurt's room. They got him into his pajamas and tucked in bed, and Kurt followed Finn upstairs. They sat in the kitchen, drinking some milk and eating cookies.

"Wow, Finn, that was some night," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry I closed the door in your face, but Tina needed some privacy. I had to dress her before I could get her out of there."

"What? Puck? What did he do to her?" Finn looked angry.

"I don't think he did anything she didn't allow, but I'm going to ask her in the morning. She appeared to be fine, but I'll ask Rachel to question her. Noah talks a good game, but I really don't think he'd do anything wrong – not even if he was drunk. She was just so jealous and so drunk. I think I got there in time, before anything bad happened. Thank you for helping me get the door open," Kurt said.

"We should have known that Santana would throw a party like that. How dumb were we to go?" Finn laughed. "The Valentine's Day Dance was fun, though. Did you have a good time there?"

"You know, I did. I was scared at first, I was having like flashbacks or something, but as soon as I went in, it was great. Thank you for being there for me, Finn, you are the best brother," Kurt smiled. They heard a noise from the basement, stumbling and then coughing.

"Uh oh...you better get your Romeo to the bathroom...I think he's about to lose his lunch. Call me if you need me, I've been there before," Finn said, getting up to clear the table.

Kurt got downstairs just in time to help a very unstable Blaine into the bathroom to loose most of the alcohol he'd consumed over the course of the evening. Kurt just held him as he groaned and sobbed, retched and cursed. Kurt got a cool cloth to put on his face after he rinsed his mouth.

"Oh, I don't feel very good, Kurt," Blaine whined, holding his stomach.

"Are you done throwing up?" Kurt asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, then let's get you back to bed. Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll only feel worse in the morning," Kurt said, patting him on his shoulder and he guided him back to bed.

"I think I'm going to die," Blaine whined.

"No, you're not, but next time maybe you won't drink as much, right?" Kurt asked.

"No. And next time? No kissing anybody but me. I didn't like kissing Sam, and I really didn't like you kissing Lauren. That wasn't fun at all," Blaine said, starting to doze off. "Can you hold me, I think I'm gonna fall off the bed."

"Oh, bed spins. Yeah, just scoot back so we're spooning and I'll hold you on the bed, honey. There, is that alright?" Kurt asked, gently putting his arms around Blaine, snuggling his nose into Blaine's neck and giving him a kiss. Blaine hummed his satisfaction.

"I love you, Blaine. Don't ever doubt it, okay?" Kurt whispered, love in his eyes.

"I don't...I was just drunk and stupid. You are the most loyal man on Earth, and I'm sorry I doubted you for a minute. I love you, too," Blaine said, closing his eyes.


	18. Chapter 18 - Beach Dreams

**From Mike to Kurt:** _Hey, Dude, meet me in the auditorium at 3._

**From Kurt to Mike:** _Sure. What's up?_

**From Mike to Kurt: **_Just take a sec..._

**From Kurt to Mike:** _Can I bring Blaine?_

**From Mike to Kurt:** _Yeah. See you there. Just come in and have a seat._

Kurt walked down the aisle of the auditorium and sat in the fifth row back. He was the only person here, but he didn't feel lonely. It was actually comforting. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair. He was almost asleep, so tired from the stress of the day.

Blaine entered the auditorium, having just picked up his books from his locker for the night's homework. He spotted Kurt towards the front and walked down the aisle. It wasn't until he got close that he realized Kurt was asleep. Poor guy, he must be really tired, and Blaine hoped that whatever Mike wanted wouldn't take too long.

Blaine walked to the row Kurt was in and down to the seat next to him, careful not to make noise or jostle him. He slid his arm around Kurt's back and gently leaned him so he was close to his side. Kurt opened his eyes for a second, then closed them, apparently still asleep. Just as Blaine dropped a few light kisses on his temple, the curtains on stage opened and Blaine called Kurt's name softly to wake him up.

"What?"

"It's okay, it's just me. I think the reason we're here is about to start, the curtains are open."

Kurt blinked and rubbed his eyes, sitting up straight and smiling at Blaine. He took his hand and turned towards the stage as Tina and Mike walked out. There were a few kids in the back playing instruments and Brad – faithful Brad – was sitting at the piano.

Tina was at the edge of the stage and looked at Kurt, smiling.

"Kurt, we wanted to thank you for all your help at the party. Both Mike and I realize that things could have gotten even more out of hand if you hadn't taken the initiative to step in and make it right. We want to thank you," Tina said, Mike standing beside her, his arm around her.

They went back to the center of the stage and nodded to the band.

_So no one told you life was gonna be this way  
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA_

It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
When it hasn't been your day, your week, 

_your month, or even your year_

but..

I'll be there for you  
When the rain starts to pour  
I'll be there for you  
Like I've been there before  
I'll be there for you  
'Cuz you're there for me too...

You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight  
You've burned your breakfast so far... things are goin' great

Your mother warned you there'd be days like these  
Oh but she didn't tell you when the world has brought  
You down to your knees that...

I'll be there for you  
When the rain starts to pour  
I'll be there for you  
Like I've been there before  
I'll be there for you  
'Cuz you're there for me too...

No one could ever know me  
No one could ever see me  
Seems you're the only one who knows  
What it's like to be me  
Someone to face the day with  
Make it through all the rest with  
Someone I'll always laugh with  
Even at my worst I'm best with you, yeah

It's like you're always stuck in second gear  
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month,  
or even your year...

I'll be there for you  
When the rain starts to pour  
I'll be there for you  
Like I've been there before  
I'll be there for you  
'Cuz you're there for me too...

Kurt was grinning from ear to ear, so happy that his friends cared enough to do this for him. He was perhaps even more thrilled that Mike and Tina were back together after the disaster of an after party. In Glee today Santana had stayed by herself and ignored everyone, probably hung over. Kurt felt sad for her, even though she brought it on herself with her wild antics.

"Oh, Tina, Mike, I loved it!" Kurt crowed, clapping and smiling at them. They took a bow and came down the stairs to the seats, Tina hugging both Kurt and Blaine, Mike clapping them on the back.

"How are you guys feeling? I mean, after the party and all," Mike asked. He looked plenty the worse for wear.

Kurt smiled. "Well, I didn't drink. Just water, so I probably feel better than you."

Blaine looked around as if there were other people there to talk to and Tina laughed.

"You were as drunk as we were," she said, giggling.

They all walked out to their cars together, talking about maybe getting together that weekend.

The weeks passed by and school was getting harder because they would either be graduating soon or because they would be leaving their families to go off to college soon. In any case, there would be lifelong friendships left behind.

Kurt rushed inside the house, Blaine two steps behind him. He clutched the letters he had grabbed from the mailbox in his hands and stopped by the dining table. Dropping the letters there, he shuffled through and pulled out two thick envelopes, one for him and one for Blaine. They stood looking at each other, twin looks of trepidation on their faces.

"Should we open them now?" Blaine asked.

"Or wait for Dad?" Kurt wondered. "No, we can tell them when they get home, let's do it now."

"Kurt, if you get in and I don't, I want you to go ahead and I can reapply next year, okay?" Blaine said.

"Don't be ridiculous. You know neither one of us would last a fortnight without the other. Now, let's see what our fate is," Kurt rejoined.

They looked a the envelopes with their names on them and looked at each other. Kurt held his out to Blaine and Blaine got the idea and handed his to Kurt. They opened them at the same time, pulling out the letters inside. Looking at each other they both sported huge grins.

"We're in?" Blaine asked.

"We're in!" Kurt crowed, grabbing Blaine and hugging him close. They danced around, thrilled that they both were accepted into the college they wanted.

"Oregon State, here we come!" they shouted, grinning at each other.

Spring Break. It was just around the corner and the boys were thinking very seriously about where to go to get away. It seemed like half a lifetime ago that they had gone to the Lake House to be alone together during senior week when the school granted seniors a week off to administer testing to the lower classmates.

Things had improved in terms of stress attributed to the trial, and the bullying had been kept to a minimum. In spite of Blaine's struggle to deal with the stresses of everyday life in a city, he still longed for quiet and solitude. He wanted to just let it go, enjoy his time here to the utmost knowing he would be moving back to Oregon in a few months, but he tended to keep this to himself. Keeping troubles of this magnitude to himself was just a way to build them up and it was getting close to critical. A person can only stuff feelings down for so long before they need to come out.

"Rachel's dads are sending her to Florida for Spring Break," Finn said one night at dinner.

"Oh, how cliché of them," Kurt said without thought, then wished he hadn't. Rachel was his friend and that wasn't a nice thing to say. Burt stared at his son for a moment, then set his fork down, finished with his meal.

"Kurt, I need your help in the garage after dinner," Burt said, in a tone that invited no argument.

"Is there something I can help with?" Blaine offered automatically.

"No, why don't you and Finn wash the dishes," Burt suggested. The boys knew his suggestion was really an order, so they just nodded.

"I want to say how proud of you I am," Carole added, smiling at each of her three boys. "All of you getting to go to the college you have chosen, and I'm really happy you will be going together. Being so far from home, it will give you a support system, someone to rely on."

"You're going to miss us, aren't you, Mom?" Finn asked.

"My wallet won't," Burt grinned, "You three eat me out of house and home."

The boys laughed. It was true, they did eat a lot.

After they had cleared the table, Kurt walked out to the garage. Burt was already there, sitting in an old chair, his feet propped on the fender of his truck. The smell of grease and wood shavings permeated the air of the garage, but Kurt liked the odor, it reminded him of his father even more than Burt's cologne did. He was going to miss his dad when he went across the country. It wouldn't be the empty, scared ache he had before Brayden Warner found his dad and brought him to Oregon to reunite them, but it would be a separation.

"Dad?" Kurt asked.

"Kiddo, have a seat," Burt indicated the stool that sat by the workbench. Kurt sat down, relaxing immediately in the familiar place.

"Is something wrong?" Kurt asked. It had been a long time since Burt had asked his son to join him here, the last time being when he showed Kurt the engagement ring he was going to give Carole.

"Well yes and no. I guess nothing is really wrong. You're growing up...hell, kid, you're a man already and you have been since you landed in Oregon. While I am so, so proud of you, part of me is just missing my sweet little boy. I know time marches on for all of us, and it's wrong to try to stop it, but oh my God, Kurt, I'm going to miss you," Burt said with tears in his eyes.

Kurt got up slowly and went to his dad, tenderly gathering his father in his arms and holding him close.

"Oh, Dad, I'm going to miss you, too," he sniffed, his heart tearing into little pieces.

They just continued holding each other for a while, swaying in the darkening garage, wishing there was a way to be in two places at once.

"Hey, we're going to be okay, kiddo. It's not like I won't know where you are, or that we can't pick up a phone and call. You need to follow your dreams, and if they lead you to Oregon, well, so be it. I'll support you any way I can," Burt said, finally letting Kurt go so he could sit again.

"Now, Spring Break is coming up, and I think the best use of our time is to go to Oregon and check out the campus. Carole and I have spent many evenings talking this over and we have come to the conclusion that it would make the most sense to rent a house for the three of you to share. What do you think? I know you and Blaine are...well, are a couple and sharing a house is perhaps not the ideal situation. However, you are not married and if you didn't share a house with Finn, you'd be living in the dorms with even less privacy."

"Oh, Dad, I think that's a great idea. I'm happy to share a house with Finn," Kurt smiled a genuine smile. Since he'd returned from Oregon, Kurt and Finn had grown very close.

"Let's go in and get some of that apple pie Carole made before Blaine and Finn figure out it's there," Burt grinned, clapping Kurt on his back and walking back in the house with him.

The plane had landed at the Eugene airport and all five of them had disembarked, looking for the driver that would be taking them to Corvallis. Burt had planned this trip down to the last detail, so the others were just going along and happy to do so. Burt had a smirk on his face, no doubt pleased his plans were turning out so well. Finn was busy chatting with his mother, telling her of his last trip to Oregon when he'd been in the Warner corporate helicopter.

Kurt and Blaine, as usual, were so wrapped up in each other, it was like no one else existed. They didn't exclude others deliberately, they just couldn't help it.

"Hey, watch where you're walking, sport," Burt said, tripping over Blaine.

"Oh, sorry, Burt..." Blaine looked up at Burt to apologize when he saw past him across the corridor. He went pale, then flushed as he dropped Kurt's hand and sprinted down the hallway. He jumped into the arms of his brother, who was waiting there for him, a grin spreading across his face.

They hugged and Blaine was not about to let go, grasping Cooper so tight his hands were going numb.

"Hey, Squirt, are you okay? How are they treating you in the civilized world?" Cooper asked, patting Blaine in an effort to get him to let go.

All he got in response was moaning and his name over and over.

"Hey, get a grip, was it that bad in Ohio?" Cooper kidded his little brother.

"No, no...I just missed you," Blaine murmured as he loosened his grip.

"Kurt, good to see you. We've missed you up in camp. Burt, Finn good to see you, too. This must be Carole?" Cooper smiled, holding out his hand to her.

"And you must be Cooper," she smiled.

"We need to go, the plane is waiting," Cooper directed them to a small jet waiting for them. On the side it said Warner Lumber.

Boarding the Leer Jet, Blaine heard a squeal and looked up to see Lenore, grinning up at him. Her beautiful long blonde hair was braided back and she was wearing tight blue jeans and an embroidered blouse. Blaine looked at her and realized she had matured quite a bit in the months he had been away and he wondered if he had changed as much.

"Blaine!" she called, throwing herself into his arms. He caught her out of reflex, but wasn't sure what to do with her as Kurt came to his rescue.

"Lenore, it is so good to see you once again," he said, pulling her into a chaste hug, away from his boyfriend. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Cooper let me come with him. Just wait until we get to the cottage!" she said, "We have all kinds of things planned for the week."

Burt had called Cooper to tell him they would be visiting Corvallis, and Coop had called back to tell him the Warner's had offered their vacation home in Newport, a few miles away, for them to use.

Kurt and Blaine settled on the seats, leaning in to each other for the final leg of their flight, Lenore smiling at Finn.

As it turned out, the "little cottage" in Newport was a seven bedroom sprawling Victorian house with all the amenities. They settled in, putting things away and gathering in the large screened in porch on the back of the house for lunch.

Lenore was grinning, looking from one of her guests to another, clearly happy to be playing hostess.

She clinked her glass with her fork and the small gathering of people looked her way, Finn smiling at her.

"Since this is the week of Easter, I thought we might want to do something traditional. My family comes from the Ukraine and my grandmother has offered to teach you all how to make the traditional kind of eggs we dye for the holidays. She learned to do this when she was a little girl in Cherkasy. They are called pysanky, are any of you familiar with them?" Lenore asked.

"Oh, yes, I've seen them," Carole said. "I'd love to learn to make them."

They all agreed to try and there was a lot of kidding about certain people and whether they were clumsy or not. But it was all in good fun and the family finished their lunch and the tables were cleared for the project.

At precisely two o'clock, a small woman came in the back door, her arms filled with a box. She received a kiss on the cheek from her granddaughter and set the box down to meet the Hummel family.

"This is my grandmother, Natalya Gura," Lenore introduced, going around the circle to name all of their guests. "And now, if you could help me, Finn, we can bring in the rest of the supplies."

Burt elected to go with Finn and Cooper to walk down the beach to the lighthouse while Carole stayed with Kurt and Blaine to learn how to make the beautiful Ukranian eggs.

They placed newspapers on the table, opened jars of dye, gave everyone a small square of beeswax and a funny shaped tiny funnel tied to a stick, called a kystka. In addition there were candles and soft clothes, papers with designs and pencils.

"Okay, let me explain how to do this. You look at the pages to determine your design and the colors you want to use. Each one has a specific meaning, for example drawing diamond shapes indicates knowledge, curls are protection. Meandering lines are for eternity, grapes symbolize brotherhood. Colors also symbolize certain things: orange is strength, purple is faith, red is charity."

Natalya waited for questions before going on to explain the next part. Lenore helped everyone decide on a pattern, and they drew them on paper.

"The next step is to draw them with a very light hand on the egg itself. You don't want it to show too much, so very lightly. When the whole design is drawn, we start. Pick up the kystka and warm it in the candle flame. When it is very warm or hot, scoop a bit of beeswax into the wide part of the funnel. Use this to draw the first part of the design onto the egg.

"This is very like batik. The parts you cover with the wax will be safe from the dye. For example, if you wish to start with white outline on a geometric pattern, draw it on with the wax."

Blaine was smiling, having decided on his pattern and colors. He was in his own world, drawing the intricate design he had decided upon, humming in contentment. He had learned to tie flies and do many other intricate things, all using a great deal of manual dexterity, so this was not difficult for him.

Kurt, on the other hand was struggling a bit. He knew how to draw, he had been drawing everything from fashion designs to painting landscapes for years – but the kistka was a little hard to get used to, and he was torn about what design he wanted.

Carole had started with a very simple design, thinking she could learn the basics before adding a degree of difficulty to her work.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Kurt whispered to Blaine, rubbing his ankle with his foot under the table. Blaine smiled at him, one of those beautiful smiles that made Kurt's belly warm with the knowledge that Blaine loved him. He blushed a little and a secret smile dawned on his face. This was turning out to be a good day – being with his family, learning a new and interesting craft, finding out how another person's traditions fit with his own. Blaine close to him and ultimately happy, having been reunited with his beloved brother after so many months. Yes, it was a great day – a thanksgiving of sorts.

"When your first outline is done, you will choose your first dye bath. You need to make a list of the colors you want to use, starting with the lightest one. For example, you might use the white for the outline, then the wax had been applied in the white places, dip the entire egg in the yellow dye. It takes about ten minutes to set enough of the color. Leaving it longer or shorter will affect the saturation of your color.

"Okay, now decide what design you want to stay yellow. Once again, heat your kistka over the flame and scoop beeswax into the funnel. Draw the yellow parts. When the wax is set, set the egg in the next color: perhaps orange. Continue with each color and design, taking your time to make it neat and make sure all of the layers are in place.

Blaine was working on the pink for the first layer, then pale robin's egg blue dye and then a darker blue. He had a smile as he drew the tiny lines to complete each layer of design. Kurt tried to figure out what it might look like done, but with all the layers of the dark beeswax, it was impossible. He didn't want to ask, but his curiosity was burning in him.

They all worked in silence for a while, concentrating on making the designs as precise as possible.

Lenore had done these pysanky eggs for every Easter her whole life, their family usually coming down to Newport to visit her grandparents in the week of Lent.

"Are these eggs hard boiled? They just don't feel like it," Kurt observed.

"No, they aren't. If you do this dying with hard boiled eggs they are not pysanky – they are called _Krashanky. _These are raw eggs. The dyes we use are toxic, so you cannot eat them. Using raw eggs is better because as long as the shell stays intact, the egg will eventually just dry out. Some people drill tiny holes in the eggs and blow out the wet insides, but I have never done that. I just let them sit and they dry. To make Krashanky, you would use non-toxic dye so you could eat them. Hard boiled eggs don't dry out like a raw one."

It took most of the afternoon to finish the layers of design and they passed it with small chatter and Natalya telling them stories of her childhood in the Ukraine. She reminded Kurt of Puck's grandmother, Sofia – who also came to this new land as a teenager on her own.

The layers were finally done, Blaine making a joke about Kurt liking this making of the pysanky because of his fondness for layers. Kurt laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Okay, now the most satisfying part of it all!" Natalya told them. "Take up the soft cloth beside you. Hold a small part of the egg over the candle flame, being careful not to burn the egg or your finger. You want to just warm the beeswax enough for it to melt a little. Wipe the melted wax onto the cloth and do the next tiny piece until it's all done."

Kurt was grinning, anticipating uncovering his design on the egg. He held it over the candle, wiping gently and repeating the actions until it was done. He looked up to see Blaine grinning at him.

"Now, take a piece of this cotton and dip it in the olive oil I have here. Rub it gently over the egg to make it shine. Then set it in the wire holder to dry," Natalya instructed, dipping her cotton in to make her egg shine with a nice sheen. She smiled, happy to be passing her craft on to another generation.

Kurt hadn't been paying a lot of attention to Blaine's egg, he seemed to want to keep it to himself until it was done and Kurt respected that. When they were all done, Kurt admired his design a bit. His egg was divided into diamond shapes with intricate borders. Within each shape was a different pattern of what looked like little stars: Ursa major, Ursa minor, Orion's belt, Pisces...six constellations in all with tiny yellow and gold stars, little lines coming out from the points as if they were sparkling. The background was a dark navy blue. He took the finished egg and gave it to Blaine, who took it in wonder as he smiled at Kurt and gently set the fragile egg in front of him on the table before hugging his boyfriend.

"Oh, Kurt. That is just beautiful," he said very softly so only Kurt could hear it. He kissed him on the cheek, running his hand up to cup Kurt's cheek and look deep into his eyes. Kurt was looking back and something silent went from Blaine to Kurt, causing them both to smile again.

"I made mine for you, Kurt. Let me show you: the design is hearts for love first of all. The ribbons are for eternity and immortality, and the tiny poppies are for joy. I used the colors, too: white for rejoicing, orange for strength, pink for contentment, red for passion and love, blue for truth and fidelity, and the dark purple is for faith and trust."

Kurt was speechless. He felt tears burning in the corners of his eyes, but didn't allow them to fall. He took Blaine's hand and they excused themselves to go to another room to speak.

"That was...oh, Blaine...that was the sweetest, most wonderful gift, I love you so much," Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear as he held him close and laid his head on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine didn't reply, he just held Kurt and rubbed his back in support. They stood like that for a long time, their world narrowed down to just each other for a while.

Blaine finally directed them over to a sofa and pulled Kurt down next to him. He held Kurt's hand and looked into his sparkling blue eyes, mesmerized as always by what he found there -pure and honest love. Kurt never held back or played games, his eyes were the most honest thing Blaine could ever imagine and he lost himself in the tiny stars of gold that resided in the blue. He smiled, thinking Kurt's egg reminded him of Kurt's eyes.

"Thank you, my stargazer, for your gift, too," Blaine said, moving Kurt's hand up so he could kiss the palm. "You are the best gift I could ever imagine, you know, and the egg? Just one more thing that makes me love you, and makes me know I want to love you until the end of my days. I know that sounds corny or cheesy...but Kurt? You know I mean every bit of it literally."

"I know, and you know I would say the same back to you. Now, let's stop being so maudlin and go back in there. I think I smell tea and cookies and we don't want to miss that, do we?"

"No. We'll talk more about this later, you know," Blaine said with a wink and turned to go back out to porch.

"You bet we will," Kurt said quietly as he reached out to grasp Blaine's hand as they returned to the porch.

Bright and early the next morning, everyone was ready to go. They would be touring the campus at Oregon State today, meeting with faculty in their respective fields of study. While the three boys were busy at the administration office, Burt and Carole would be looking around the town. There were a lot of places for them to find a bit of culture and they had planned to go to the Oregon Coast Aquarium this morning, then on to the art gallery near the beach that afternoon. It was a busy day, but fun and informative.

On the way from Corvallis to Newport, the three boys drove through a tiny little town, just ten minutes from Corvallis, called Philomath. It was a quiet place, just near enough to the campus to be ideal, and far enough away to sooth Blaine's jangled nerves. He had tried for a long time now to ignore the intrusions of the city into his brain and his very being. He wasn't used to noise, even after all these months living in Lima with the Hummels. Philomath was so much quieter and it looked both large enough and off the beaten path so they would all be comfortable.

They were driving down a small side road, trying to get back on the main road that went through the town between Newport and Corvallis. Finn was driving, Lenore in the front seat beside him. She wasn't going to college yet, but wanted to accompany the boys on their tour of the campus in case she could go there in two years. Besides, she had been close to Finn the whole time they were here.

"Hey, is that a rental sign?" Finn asked, steering the car over to the curb in front of the Victorian house. It was gray with maroon trim in the style of the day – if the day was during the reign of Queen Victoria. It was obviously drawn into two bedrooms and a lot of space. There was a stone walkway up to the front door and an older man was just locking the door as the three boys drove up.

"Excuse me, sir, we noticed the rental sign out front..." Finn said, leaning out the window.

"Interested? I'll give you the tour," the man said, leaning on his cane.

An hour later, Finn, Blaine, and Kurt were sitting at the supper table telling Burt and Carole about the house they just rented. They could not stop the smiles from blooming across their faces as they enthused about every detail inside and out, the closeness to campus, the music room, the privacy. It was perfect. The owner was renting it for the summer but it would be vacant starting a few weeks before classes started. Perfect.

The boys went to bed early, wanting to get a fresh start in the morning. They had plans to do something alone, and they had set the alarm for an early hour.

"Kurt, can you come closer? I missed cuddling with you today," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear and they scooted together, snug under the fresh sheets.

"Of course, do you want to be the big spoon, the little spoon, or shall we just do our koala thing?" Kurt giggled. He would accept an invitation to cuddle with Blaine in any way, shape, or form it came in.

Blaine gently pushed Kurt onto his back on the bed, lying so he was partially on top of Kurt. He kissed his temple, humming in contentment before trailing the kisses down Kurt's jaw line and onto his neck.

Kurt dearly loved to have Blaine kiss his neck. It made shivers across his arms, down his spine. He wanted to giggle and sigh and moan all at the same time...but all he was able to do was call Blaine's name into his neck for a moment.

Putting his hands flat on Blaine's chest, Kurt took a deep breath and spoke in a choked voice, "Blaine, do you remember the night at the cabin, that first night when we were naked together?"

"Yes, I have that night burned in my memory, where I can call it back any time I need to. Kurt, I think that was the first time in my whole life that I felt all the hoping and wishing I'd done for so many years might...might come true. With you."

"I felt the same thing," Kurt confessed, kissing Blaine before he said anything else.

"I know we've done more things since then, shared moments, and maybe we aren't ready for going all the way yet..." Blaine started to say, but he got embarrassed at saying the words and stopped. Kurt pulled back a little, looking at Blaine's face in the dark to determine what was going on in his mind.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, stroking Blaine's arm to calm him. He knew that although Blaine was certainly no prude when it came to the physical aspects of their relationship – no... _god_, _no_ – he had a lot of anxiety with _talking_ about it, about voicing his needs. Sometimes it was fun to push him in this, refusing to cooperate unless Blaine gathered his courage and asked for what he needed – but this didn't seem appropriate now. Kurt took pity on him and decided to help.

"Baby, do you want to ask me something?" Kurt cooed. Blaine nodded. "Is this going to be twenty questions?" Kurt teased, placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine giggled, thankful Kurt was not going to torment him. He could get what he wanted without the humiliating descriptions and he was okay with answering yes and no.

"Is what you want something I do to you or you do to me?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt, you know the rules, only yes and no questions," Blaine admonished.

"Okay, is it something you want to do to me?"

"Oh, yes," Blaine said, a sparkle in his beautiful hazel eyes.

"Does it start above the waist?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, _yes_," Blaine said, smiling. He licked his lips and Kurt tried to pretend that he was not being affected by this line of questioning.

"Is it on my left side?" Kurt asked, eliciting a giggle from Blaine.

"Ah, no."

"Good thing I lean to the right, then," Kurt said under his breath – but Blaine heard him and red flooded his face.

"Is it something we've done before?"

"No, not exactly." Blaine was now avoiding Kurt's eyes because he thought just one glance and his face would give it all away. He was suddenly very thankful this was a dark room.

"Does it involve...ah...supplies?"

"Are you asking me if I want to play with sex toys, Kurt?" Blaine giggled.

"Well, do you?" Kurt asked, a little snippy because he was embarrassed. That was not at all what he meant.

"Kurt, I don't know what to say. I know we should be able to say anything to each other, and that makes sense in theory – but the truth of it is that I just can't bring myself to say it out loud. Okay? I don't have any easy answer, maybe it is too much for my emotions to handle. I can think it, I can imagine doing it...and I wouldn't be too shy to actually do it if the opportunity arose. I just...oh, Kurt, I just cannot say what it is I want. Now, I'm going for a walk. I'm not angry or anything, and none of this is your fault, okay? But I'm going for a walk," Blaine said, getting out of bed and getting dressed while Kurt watched, feeling a little stunned.

Blaine walked along the beach in the moonlight, feeling the slight breeze from off the water and smelling the salty ocean. It was a wonderful scent, bright and full of life. The sand under his feet wasn't as fine as he imagined it was going to be. He had thought about how romantic it would be to walk on this beach, arm in arm with Kurt, or holding hands while they sang to each other. Why did he have to go and screw it all up? Just because he couldn't articulate a simple request. Damn it.

Well, he thought, why did he have to make such a case out of it? He didn't have to ask for a certain thing, he could have just seen how Kurt reacted to it while they were being intimate anyway...but oh, no. He had to go and make it uncomfortable for both of them – and Kurt was trying so hard to make it okay for him. Blaine kicked the sand, but it wasn't satisfying enough, so he picked up a rock and threw it into the ocean. Better.

Better enough that he decided to do it again, and found another rock. He threw it. It helped, so he walked along – finding rocks in the moonlight and throwing them with all of his might into the ocean, trying to make the biggest splashes. Then trying to make the least splashes with the biggest rocks, like Olympic divers. He threw them faster and faster, trying to rid himself of all the pent-up stress of the evening. All the disappointment he felt in himself. He wore himself out after over an hour of throwing increasingly larger rocks.

"Sometimes, I guess there just aren't enough rocks," a voice said behind him.

"Forrest Gump," Blaine answered, thinking of the scene from the movie when Jenny threw rocks at the house where she grew up. He stopped cold, afraid to turn around for a moment. Not afraid of who was standing there, but very afraid that it was his imagination and when he turned around, nobody would be there. So he stood very still, waiting.

He didn't have to wait long before warm hands touched his shoulders. He turned into Kurt's arms, grabbing at him to get as close as he could; Kurt doing the same thing until they were flush against each other, holding each other.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. So sorry..." Blaine said, still holding him tightly.

"What are you sorry about, baby?" Kurt asked, a little curious but more worried.

"I want to tell you things, Kurt, my deepest secrets are meant to be an open book to _you_. I want to tell you my whole heart, but then I get tongue tied, just frozen and I can't say what I'm thinking or what I'm feeling. That might feel like some sort of betrayal or rejection to you, Kurt, but it isn't meant to be. I just cannot explain it to you," Blaine said, looking totally defeated.

"Oh, Blaine. Please don't feel like that. You don't have to tell me everything. Don't you think I can feel what you want to say to me? Loving each other shouldn't be hard – what would be the purpose in that? We can be comfortable with each other without having to wrench things from our souls just to prove we care. I wasn't upset that you couldn't express yourself this evening, and I am sorry if you thought I was pushing you. Honestly, I was trying to help you, but that was all.

"I gave it a lot of thought tonight after you went to take your walk," Kurt continued. "I believe that in loving someone, you don't need to articulate each thing to them first. I know it is wise to discuss what you're going to do before you do it, just to know if the other person feels the same way."

"Blaine, I understand you're trying to make that statement so it fits all situations or something, but it came out just a mass of confusion. Can you just say what you mean?" Kurt asked, his fingers running through the curls at the nape of Blaine's neck. "We are all alone on this beach, you can talk to me if you want. I mean really talk to me, not some abstract third person."

Blaine walked over to a large piece of driftwood and sat down, patting the seat beside him. Kurt dropped down, snuggling into Blaine's side. Blaine's arm went around Kurt's shoulder automatically as they relaxed into each other. They looked up at the stars, silently picking out Orion's Belt and Kurt's fingers absently sought out the disc around his neck. He thought of the day Blaine had given him the necklace, Valentine's Day. They looked at each other and smiled, their eyes looking back up at the cascade of stars spread across the heavens.

"Blaine, I want to share everything with you, you know. When we're in bed, I mean. I don't want to hold us back in case you were thinking of going further. We don't have to, we have our lives ahead of us and I want to save having intercourse for...well, for the right moment," Kurt whispered. The beach was deserted, but he still could not say this out loud any more than Blaine could.

"I agree, Kurt. Of course I want to try new things, and I want to do the things we liked over again. I like it when we are close like that, naked in the bed and private, Kurt, and it feels so good to me...but what is even better is when I can help _you_ to feel that way. I love to hear those noises that come out of your mouth, the moaning like you're being torn to pieces. Oh, my love, when you lose yourself in the heat of the moment, when I can feel you giving yourself to me, the sounds can break through my skin and I can feel them warming me, curling through my body and settling in my belly. I love touching you – your warm skin, the feel of changing textures and temperatures as I move my hand across your naked body. The scent of spicy citrus and fresh skin and the amazing scent that fills me when you're aroused. It's like a drug and I can't stop wanting it. I can't stop wanting you, Kurt, whether it has been a week since we touched in that way or it's been five minutes since you pulled an orgasm from me...I still want you," Blaine's voice got louder and Kurt was obliged to move a little away or damage his hearing.

Kurt was right there with Blaine in these thoughts, and he was getting hard just thinking about Blaine's hands on him, his scent, and those glorious sounds...It was a seduction that Kurt followed willingly, even here in the open and empty beach.

"Blaine, can you kiss me now? I want to feel you, I want to feel like I'm yours...I just want you," Kurt asked. Blaine leaned forward once again to get a better grip on Kurt as he kissed him deeper, his hands rucking up Kurt's shirt in the back to touch that lovely pale skin.

"Let's go back to the house, I need to cool down a little or you're going to be waking up in the morning with sand in every crevice you own," Blaine kidded, trying to lighten the mood.

Walking back to the house, Blaine's arm around Kurt's waist and Kurt's around his shoulder, they sang and did silly dance moves, running into the surf for a moment until Blaine reached down to splash Kurt. Wet to his thighs, Kurt giggled and chased Blaine into the water. It was cold, not like a beach in California or Florida, and a bit cooler than was comfortable.

"Let's get home, I'm getting cold," Kurt shivered, snuggling close to his warm boyfriend. They sauntered on, not hurrying at all, but enjoying the starlight and the full moon.

"Do you miss your cabin?" Kurt asked, seeing a far away look in Blaine's eyes. Blaine turned his gaze on the beautiful boy beside him.

"Yeah, Kurt, I do. I never experienced living anywhere else, and although I loved seeing a city and really loved living with you – I miss the cabin. It is home to me, and I was content there," Blaine explained.

"_Was_?" Kurt picked up on the word and wondered at the past tense.

"Yeah, I _was_. Kurt, I have tried to explain it to you – and I think you have an inkling of what it means to me, but when I saw you that first day, well, I just can't imagine living away from you now, and I think you understand, right?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, I do," Kurt said, blowing in Blaine's ear very gently just to see the shivers run down his back.

"I'm glad. Please don't get me wrong, I was happy to be with you in Ohio, but I'll be happy to be back in my little cabin in the big woods, too...as long as I'm with you."

They were back to the house now, going into their bedroom and taking off their clothes to get settled back in the big bed. Kurt was sitting on the side of the bed, getting ready to slide under the blankets when Blaine stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"No briefs, okay?" Blaine whispered in his ear, running one finger down Kurt's spine. Kurt gasped, but recovered and took off his underwear, a smile on his face.

"You, either," he grinned.

They turned out the lights, snuggling together. It was only one in the morning, plenty of time to sleep later. Blaine turned Kurt over so his back was snug against Blaine's chest. He loved holding Kurt like this: it was easy to whisper little suggestions, leave kisses in that tender hollow below his ear, easy to run his finger down the line in his back and cup his perfect ass. Perfect for holding Kurt close to him around the waist while he stroked him. Tonight was a night for all these – Blaine just had to have his hands on Kurt.

Kurt stretched like a cat, looking over his shoulder at Blaine's beautiful eyes in the moonlight. Blaine's hands were stroking down his sides, over his chest, and down his pale thighs. Kurt practically purred. He had been so hesitant at first about moving forward in this realm of sexual awakening, but with Blaine it was just ...somehow right. He was comfortable with everything they had done, more than comfortable -he reveled in each new sensation. He was not usually the instigator, being so much more shy about his body, that he envied Blaine's practiced ease in stripping down at the slightest provocation.

"Kurt, are you okay with me doing something new tonight?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah..." Kurt cooed. Was he okay? Hell, he was panting for it.

Blaine began to kiss him, stroking his fingers along the muscles on his belly and making Kurt jump with the sudden feeling.

"Mmmmmmmm," Kurt hummed and pulled Blaine down closer for another kiss. They just kissed and touched for a while, happy just to be together and sharing this moment. Blaine nibbled on Kurt's earlobe, and on to his collarbone. It was as though Blaine wanted to devour him -nibbles and licks as he made his way along muscles, exploring secret flesh as he went. Their bodies readjusted and shifted to accommodate each movement and by the time Blaine was at Kurt's waist, kissing the top of his hipbone, Kurt was a mess. He was trying not to giggle, even though it did tickle, because it also felt good.

Blaine kissed along the crease that divided Kurt's leg from his body, holding his leg and placing it over his shoulder. He kissed up Kurt's inner thigh as Kurt stiffened, not sure of the feelings he was experiencing but as Blaine nipped his tender skin he moaned. Blaine bent Kurt's knees and pushed his legs up, granting him access to nibble and kiss his way along. Kurt lay back on the pillows, his eyes closed as he let the experience cascade over him, sensations filling him. Just as he thought it was more than he could bear, Blaine's tongue was caressing his skin.

If the thought of this was more than Kurt could even fit inside his head, the actuality of it was mind shattering. Blaine's tongue was warm and soft, licking across skin that had never seen the light of day, much less the eyes of another person. Kurt was so mesmerized by this he was simply silent for a few moments, holding his breath as he realized what Blaine was doing. His tongue was licking broad stripes along Kurt's entrance, warm and wet and it wrung a moan out of Kurt's throat that burned Blaine down to his balls. That feeling was so intense, it would wake the dead.

It was a strange thing to contemplate, and Kurt didn't think about it consciously -he just reacted. There were chills cascading down his back as he squirmed to get closer, quietly begging for more and Blaine was so worked up, he gave Kurt exactly what he wanted. He had lubed his fingers while he started and was ready when Kurt begged for more. First, he pushed his tongue past the tight ring of muscle, feeling it grip and sensing Kurt's breath being held. He moved his tongue slowly, licking all along the crease before reentering the space – causing Kurt to make a noise like his heart was being ripped out.

"Oh, Blaiiinnnee, oh, my god...please, let there be more...is there more? No, never mind, just don't stop. Oh...ah ah ah ah ah.." Kurt continued his jibberish as he was astounded by the amazing feeling he was experiencing. "Blaine...Blaine...oh..." he was barely able to articulate as his breathing became ragged and fast.

Blaine pulled back a tiny bit, Kurt letting out his breath in disappointment, but not wanting his boyfriend to feel badly. He wanted more, he didn't want that sensation to stop, but as he drew breath to speak, Blaine kissed the inside of his thigh. He caught the look on Kurt's face and patted his thigh. "Now, let me take care of you, my love. Are you doing okay?"

Kurt just looked at Blaine, finally realizing that he was required to answer the simple question. Blaine smiled and Kurt just nodded his head.

"Are you okay with a little more now?" Blaine whispered. Again Kurt nodded.

Blaine readjusted their positions so he could kiss Kurt. Even with all of the amazing things they did with fingers and mouths and other places, kissing was what Blaine always thought of first. He loved kissing Kurt.

In the heat of the passionate kissing, Blaine slid his lube-slick fingers where his tongue had been and stroked. Kurt came unglued. It was just a gentle touch, drawing a circle around the ring of muscle, but Kurt kissed Blaine with a renewed purpose. He practically growled and the excitement was a blue aura glowing from the two boys. Kurt pushed himself closer and Blaine's finger entered the velvet soft warmth, and he gasped. Oh, this was...so different than he had imagined it was going to be. He had no time to contemplate, though, as Kurt was whispering to him to do more, begging for Blaine to use another finger, but to be gentle.

"Oh, Blaine...I know you liked it when I did this to you, and now I know why...oh, that feels so...so good, Blaine, so good...don't speed up, just slow and steady and...ah ah ah ah...oh, god..." Kurt was incoherent and babbling, and Blaine was thinking about when Kurt had done this to him. He pulled his fingers out to reapply the lube, knowing that a lot was required to keep Kurt comfortable. It was cold, so he was letting it heat up and kissing Kurt while he waited.

"Again?" Blaine asked and Kurt nodded, tilting to give his boyfriend an easier time. It would have been amazing, just to continue, but Blaine was tenderly massaging Kurt – the lube making it easier and Kurt was so hard that Blaine was almost worried for him. Just as Blaine was kissing down Kurt's neck he stiffened and held very still, an undecipherable look on his beautiful face, and Blaine slid his fingers to explore deeper into the warmth of Kurt's depths, he brushed by that place that amounted to heaven in this whole endeavor.

If Kurt had come unglued before, that was nothing to this, his high pitched keening as he tried to be quiet was torture, the ecstasy from each and every push or give in their loving encounter making his throat fill with sounds that only made Blaine more eager. "Did I do that to you, Blaine? Did I make you feel this good?" Kurt mumbled as he pushed back against Blaine's fingers. He moved a few more times, just to get it at the right place – and then closed his eyes and dragged himself up and down Blaine's fingers, letting the climax build and burn until he couldn't stand it. Blaine was not idle, rutting against Kurt's hand which was holding Blaine tightly as he pumped up and down Blaine's erection. The combination of the friction, the sounds Kurt was emitting, and the thoughts of what this would feel like on the day they decided to go all the way was more than enough for Blaine to come, crying out and slamming his hand into the mattress in an effort to redirect some of the energy so he didn't explode. His vision still hadn't cleared when Kurt stiffened and called out.

"Oh, god, Blaine...oh, god...I'm coming, Blaine, coming just for you..." and he burst forth, as Blaine was saying the same thing, begging Kurt to come for him, to spill his everything in his ecstasy. And Kurt did.

Long after, Kurt woke up and found himself in a fresh-scented, clean and warm bed. He blinked a few times in the darkness, looked at the clock to realize it was past five in the morning, and slid his fingers across the sheet. Blaine was there, his head back and his arms thrown apart, in total sleepy abandonment. Kurt watched him for a while, the love he felt for this amazing boy warming his very soul. He still could not imagine what he had done in his karma universe to deserve such a person.

He moved his fingers, caressing Blaine's cheek and kissing him on his soft, dusky pink lips that responded even in deep sleep to make Kurt know he was loved. He sighed in contentment as Blaine moved in his sleep, gathering Kurt close to his heart and falling back to deep slumber. Kurt smiled and closed his eyes.


	19. Chapter 19 - Rivers Run Down to the Sea

There was a breeze this morning, but it wasn't too chilly which brought smiles to the faces of Kurt and Blaine. Blaine had gone to the hardware store the afternoon before while Kurt was reading and purchased all the supplies they needed. The rest of the afternoon was spent with slim pieces of balsa wood, paper, string and glue. Blaine and Kurt had been very excited when it was all done but it was too late to go and try it out.

This morning, Kurt had packed a nice picnic lunch with fresh fruit in the form of pears and grapes, some Brie cheese, various crackers, sandwiches made of thin slices of pumpernickel bread spread with butter and flakes of poached salmon, and a bottle of sparkling apple juice. Blaine had packed the car with a blanket, pillows, swimming gear, sunscreen, and the newly minted toy they made.

The drive to the beach was filled with songs and giggling, both boys happy to be alive and together. A day that they were sure would be remembered for years to come. Unfortunately it was, but not for the reasons they thought.

Once on the beach, Blaine took the new toy out of the back seat and attached the string. It was a box kite. The bright blue and red paper was bright in the sunlight and Kurt grinned. He hadn't flown a kite since he was a little kid, before his mother died.

"Oh, I love the colors! Blue and red are just right, don't you think?" Blaine asked.

"Yes! You will be able to see it a far distance away. Don't box kites have tails?" Kurt asked.

"Nope, the aerodynamics don't require it," Blaine said. He had wondered the same thing himself and looked it up.

Kurt had flown a traditional kite that his mother made for him...he remembered that day as the pink kite with a cut-out of a butterfly in deep purple lifted off the ground as if by magic and soared into the air. He had been allowed to cut the pieces for the tail – each one a shade of blue and looking like paper bow ties as he glued them on the streamer for the tail. It was one of the happiest days of his early life and he had shared it with Blaine a few weeks ago.

Leave it to Blaine to store this information in his heart and come home from the hardware store unexpectedly carrying the bags of supplies and a grin as he told Kurt what his plan was. He never mentioned Kurt's mother, but Kurt knew that was why he bought the things and why he was so excited to make the kite. How could anyone be this thoughtful?

They walked to the beach, the kite bobbing in Kurt's hands as though it couldn't wait to get up into the air. Blaine had tied the string to the kite very tightly and asked Kurt if he wanted to hold the kite or run to get it up in the air. He thought for a moment, than answered:

"I think I'll hold it. I like the feeling of letting it go when it struggles, letting it free to soar. Oh, Blaine, you have the best ideas. This is going to be great!" Kurt said, backing away from Blaine so he could hold the kite correctly.

Blaine let a few dozen feet of string loose from the spindle and walked down the beach, singing, Kurt's beautiful voice joining in:

_Oh, oh, oh!  
Let's go fly a kite  
Up to the highest height!  
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring  
Up through the atmosphere  
Up where the air is clear  
Oh, let's go fly a kite!_

When you send it flyin' up there  
All at once you're lighter than air  
You can dance on the breeze  
Over houses and trees  
With your fist holding tight  
To the string of your kite

He was wearing shoes so he wouldn't cut his foot while running, but it was going to be a little hard to run on the sand. Lucky for him, the sand wasn't too fine here, so he thought it would be okay. He nodded at Kurt when the string was taut and got ready to run. Kurt lifted the kite into the air and the breeze caught it – sending it up into the atmosphere as Blaine took some running steps before he realized the kite was already up – so he fed out the string very slowly. Then Kurt was beside him, his eyes were sparkling and a huge grin spread across his face in happiness.

Blaine put his arm over Kurt, so he was standing inside Blaine's embrace and they could hold the spindle together as the kite got higher and higher. It was close to three quarters of the string let out when Kurt's smile got bigger with an idea.

"Just wait here with the kite, I'll be right back," Kurt called over his shoulder as he sprinted to the car. He grabbed a pen and a notepad he kept in his bag.

"I remember my mother showing me how to send the kite a message! This is cool if I can get it to work," Kurt said, busy with writing on a piece of paper. He finished and tore a straight line from the edge to the center of the paper, slipping it over the kite string and folding it so it wouldn't get loose. He pushed the note part way up the string and let it go.

It was slow, but gradually made its way up the string until it was close to the box kite. Kurt smiled at the memory and Blaine glowed with the thought he had helped to make the boy he loved so happy.

They ran down the beach when the wind died down a little, trying so hard to keep the kite in the air. One crash and the pieces of balsa and paper would not be repairable. When Kurt's arms got tired, he began reeling the kite in, doing tricky maneuvers to keep it from taking a dive. It finally came close to the ground and Blaine was there to catch it. He held the kite in his arms, hoping they could try again after lunch when he saw the message that Kurt had made for the the kite. It said,

"_**Hello, Mom. **_

_**This is my boyfriend, Blaine. **_

_**I know you will love him as much as I do. **_

_**I miss you. I love you! **_

**_Kurt."_ **

This had been such a wonderful, happy day but the message brought tears to Blaine's eyes for a moment. He took the paper and folded it carefully, sliding it into his pocket before turning to find Kurt. He smiled through the tears and walked to Kurt, who was waiting with the spindle, winding it up as fast as he could. By the time he was done, Blaine had wiped away all signs of his tears and his smile was back in place.

"What do you say to some lunch?" Kurt asked, as they strolled back to the car. Getting the kite put away and the picnic basket out, they walked to a nice place in the shade of some low growing trees and spread the blanket. Kurt laid out the lunch and they ate, Kurt almost in Blaine's lap as he peeled grapes and fed them to his boyfriend, one at a time. Blaine giggled, licking the juice from Kurt's fingers, then taking his finger into his mouth and sucked on it, running his tongue around gently. Kurt's sharp intake of breath sent tendrils of desire down Blaine's back and into his belly. He hummed in invitation and Kurt's lips were there, ready and willing to be kissed. Lying back on the blanket, they tangled their legs together, just touching as Kurt pulled Blaine tighter to him.

"You can't do that, Blaine. Not here. Save it for later when we're back at the house -alone. It isn't fair for you to start something you can't finish," Kurt said in mock seriousness as he was grinding his crotch against Blaine. Blaine laughed. The beach was deserted, but you never knew, it was a public beach and this was a popular tourist town. Blaine smiled as he kissed Kurt's cheek and then dipped his head to bite his neck.

Kurt went along for a while, enjoying all the attention, but finally sat up.

"How was lunch?" he asked, clearing up the used dishes and setting them back in the basket to be taken to the car.

"It was wonderful, of course. Thank you, Kurt for making a lovely day even better. I not only had a good time, but good food and good company make the best sort of day," Blaine said, placing a kiss on Kurt's neck as he straightened up to take the hamper back to the car. "Do you want to take the kite up again?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, there doesn't seem to be as much breeze, but I think we can get it up," Kurt said, then realized how that sounded and blushed.

Blaine walked over and took Kurt in his arms, kissing his ear and whispering,"Well, I do hope we can get it up! That was my plan for later..." causing Kurt to giggle and finally to just laugh, stroking his fingers feather-light across the front of Blaine's jeans.

They brought out the kite and this time Blaine held it while Kurt let out some string from the spindle. The breeze was still there, but much less forceful, so Kurt was going to run to get it up in the air. Blaine ran with him, holding the kite above his head, and Kurt pulled the string taut and ran down the beach. The kite took the air and went straight up, twirling as it went. Blaine took out his phone and took several photographs of the kite, then of Kurt running with it, trying to keep it aloft. The kite was uncooperative and kept dipping, threatening to crash, but Kurt managed to get it to go higher. Blaine clapped his hands after one particularly heroic move and the boys grinned at each other.

Kurt could feel through the string that the kite was just losing power, and he didn't want it to crash, so he took off running and while he was watching the kite, he tripped over some large rocks and went over the top, falling down into a deep crevice that led to the ocean. Blaine had been glancing at where Kurt was headed, but it was well hidden in a place that looked like all the surrounding rock formations. To see Kurt disappear was awful – so, with his heart pounding in his chest, Blaine ran for the overhang of boulders to see how Kurt fared.

Reaching the edge, it did not look pretty. It was a deep crevice, hidden from where they had been running, and the bowl was only open on the ocean side. Blaine would have to pick his way down to the floor of the ravine where Kurt was lying. Blaine could see blood and it looked like Kurt was unconscious.

Blaine grabbed his cell phone and dialed the emergency number. The Coast Guard was never too far off of this area of shore and they were sending a rescue boat. Blaine dialed Burt, couldn't get him and called Finn instead. He rattled off what he knew and then hung up, needing both hands for climbing down the rocks. It was treacherous, but he was able to get to the bottom. He had been calling Kurt's name, but there was no response and Blaine was in full panic by the time he got near. He stopped, knowing he had to calm down before he went to see about Kurt. He took a deep breath and walked carefully to Kurt's side.

There was a deep gash on his face, from temple to the dimple beside his mouth. It was bleeding, but not spurting, so Blaine left it and looked further. He was wary of moving Kurt before help could come to assess whether he had broken something in his neck or back, so he sat close and called his name. Kurt finally opened his eyes, but didn't seem all that conscious, so Blaine just went on feeling very gently to see if anything needed emergency attention.

His arms seemed okay, and other than the gash, his face and head were okay. He did have a knot on the back of his head, which he must have gotten when he fell, but it was not bleeding. Kurt was whining, but still not conscious, moving his head back and forth.

"Baby, I'm here, I'm here with you. Oh, I know it hurts, my love...help is coming, I promise. I will be here with you, I won't leave, my baby," Blaine kept up, hoping his voice might keep Kurt calm until help did get there.

It wasn't until he moved to get closer on the other side that Blaine saw his leg. He stood there, stunned before the sight arranged itself into something that made sense in his head and he ran to the edge of a rock and threw up into the ocean. The heel of his foot was wedged between two rocks and the leg was twisted in a funny position, one that God had not intended for legs to be in. Blaine prayed that Kurt wouldn't wake up until help arrived.

He heard the boat coming and stood up, waving them into the cove. Three men and a woman jumped off the boat and surrounded Kurt, bringing a backboard and medical packs along with them. Kurt was partially in the water, but not soaked or cold. The EMTs were fast and one of them stationed herself with Blaine, holding him back and trying to calm him. She tried to get him to walk away with her while they moved Kurt to the backboard, but Blaine would not move. He saw Kurt's leg, twisted in that unnatural position and had to be sick again.

They got Kurt on the boat and Blaine, too, and took them to a dock where the two were transported to a waiting ambulance and then to the hospital. Blaine was in a daze, the EMT told him he was in shock and he was treated, but he stayed with Kurt, holding his hand the whole trip. Nobody tried to stop him, so he just held on.

At the hospital he was not letting go of Kurt, so they sent a clerk in to get what information he could give them about Kurt. By the time he had tried to answer the questions and the doctor was examining Kurt – sending him to the X-ray room – Burt, Carole, and Finn were there. Burt pulled Blaine into his arms and held him, trying to calm the boy down until there was a commotion outside. They could hear a nurse telling someone only two visitors per patient and then Cooper burst in. Blaine ran to him, pasting himself to his brother.

"Hey, Squirt, you're going to be okay. What's this?" he asked, seeing the IV sticking in Blaine's arm.

Burt sat the two down on chairs and told Cooper what he knew so far, Carole explaining any medical terms that needed clarifying in a quiet voice. Blaine was in shock and should be back on his gurney under the heated blanket. Cooper persuaded Blaine to do so, but only by promising he could sit with Kurt when he got back. Blaine was dizzy and finally lay down, Cooper stroking his head and carding his fingers through Blaine's curls like he had when he was a little boy. He calmed under Cooper's hand and Coop smiled.

It took a while, but Kurt was brought back, his head bandaged and his leg in a splint. He was awake, but very groggy.

"We have given him a cocktail of opium-based narcotics for now, the break is a bad one and the surgeon is on his way, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel. We want to put him in a private room until we get him stabilized," the ER doctor told Burt and Carole. Carole took Burt's hand and squeezed so he knew she was there to support him.

"Can he be in with his friend?" Burt asked.

The doctor conferred with someone on the phone and agreed that it would be fine for now. Both boys were moved to a quiet room to await the surgeon.

Several hours later, it had been determined that Blaine was okay, but could stay the night to be sure he was out of shock. Kurt had sustained a concussion and a badly broken leg – a spiral fracture of his tibia, dislocation of his knee and a fracture of the femur. It seems his foot got caught between some rocks and when Kurt continued to fall, it wedged the foot in farther and twisted the knee out of its socket and broke both bones. The only thing the doctor wondered was how he had avoided breaking the fibula, too.

They had to wait for the swelling to subside, so Kurt would be in hospital for a week or more before they could do the repair surgery to fix the torn ligaments and tendons, they could put him under an anesthetic tonight and set the bones. It may be quite a while before Kurt would be able to walk again.

Blaine was not leaving Kurt's side. He felt responsible, the kite was his idea and then he allowed Kurt to be the one to run with it. Hour by hour, Blaine would sit next to Kurt, reading to him, singing with him, playing cards and drawing, painting, writing, anything to keep Kurt occupied. Burt and Carole usually came together, Carole quietly holding her husband's hand as he sat with Kurt and talked to him. Finn came frequently to sit with his brother, giving Blaine a break. Cooper was there as much as possible, since he would soon have to go back to the camp to work. Mr. Warner was nice about letting Coop have rides to and from Newport on one of the helicopters. Lenore came frequently, and was always nice to Blaine when she came in.

Blaine stayed so close, Kurt sometime had to tell him to leave. He loved Blaine, but some days it was as if Blaine was residing in the pocket of his coat.

"Go out and do something, Blaine!" Kurt said, clearly at the end of his rope one afternoon. Blaine had been waiting on him hand and foot all day for weeks and Kurt was grouchy, Blaine was the easiest target to hurl his frustration and guilt at, and Kurt wasn't exactly in his right mind.

"What? I only want to help you, Kurt. Can I rub your back or get you something to eat?" Blaine asked, but Kurt cut him off.

"Yes, you can get out. I don't want company, I don't want anyone waiting on me like some slave, I don't want to talk or look at another human for the rest of the day. Get out. And don't come back until tomorrow!" Kurt said, and when Blaine hesitated he threw a book at him, accidentally hitting him in the face. Blaine took the hint and left. Out in the hallway, he put his hand to his face and brought it back to look – it was covered with blood. The book had hit so hard there was a gash across his forehead and his eye was swelling. He walked calmly down to the nurse's station to ask for a cloth to clean himself up when Burt walked around the corner. He stopped and stared at Blaine, then grabbed his clean handkerchief out of his pocket and covered the gash, steering Blaine to the nurse. Half an hour later, Blaine was sitting in the car, stitches in his forehead and an ice pack on his eye, which was swollen shut.

Finn made sure he was settled and started for the house where Blaine had been ordered to stay in bed for two days.

"Did Kurt do that?" Finn asked. Blaine didn't answer, he just gave a small moan as if in pain.

"C'mon, dude, I know he did. I know about his temper, I've been on the receiving end of it enough times. Although I've never ended up with stitches before. What happened?" Finn looked at Blaine for a moment before pulling out of the parking lot.

"I guess I was irritating him. He told me to go and when I didn't, he threw a book at me. Really, really hard. I don't think he meant to hurt me, that part was an accident. Don't tell him, he'd feel bad if he knew," Blaine said.

"He's gonna notice that you have a shiner, and the stitches. Or do you think you can stay away from him long enough for all that to heal? No way. He's going to know, Blaine."

"I guess. Well, I have two days to think up something. I think right now I just need to go to sleep," Blaine said, leaning his head against the window.

They drove home in silence. The week of Spring Break was over and the boys should be back in school, but Kurt's doctors didn't think it was wise for him to fly home until he'd had the leg surgery, so they did the homework on line and Mr. Warner was kind enough to let them stay at the house in Newport as long as necessary. Although everyone was worried about Kurt, the only one that was happy they were still there was Lenore. She had a crush on Finn and followed him around like a puppy. He appeared to be oblivious of it. Blaine had noticed and made the decision to bring it all up before they got home.

"Finn, do you mind if I stick my nose in where it doesn't belong?" Blaine asked, not quite sure how to approach this.

"No, what's up?"

"It's about Lenore. I have known her since we were babies and I'm pretty sure she has a crush on you," Blaine said bluntly.

"She does?" Finn blushed a little. "I didn't notice that..."

"She follows you around everywhere, bats her eyelashes at you, listens to every word you utter like it was gospel? How have you not noticed that?" Blaine asked.

"Well, maybe I noticed it a little. I was going home, so it didn't seem to matter too much," Finn defended himself.

"Well, we're here for another few weeks until Kurt's leg is set enough so he will start to heal, and I'm pretty sure she intends to keep doing it. Lenore is nothing if not persistent," Blaine added.

"I'll be careful. Besides, we'll be leaving soon enough. Surely she won't want a long distance thing with me?" Finn asked innocently.

"Finn, did you forget we're moving here in August? Lenore knows that, so she might decide to stay with her grandparents for a while. I'm just telling you so you can be prepared. She's a nice girl, but I know you're with Rachel," Blaine said.

"About that...I haven't said anything, but Rachel and I have talked it over. She is going to New York, I'm coming here to Oregon for four years. We're young and unlike you and my brother, neither of us think of ourselves as soulmates. Yes, I love her, but we don't want to live the next four years of our lives skyping and facebooking our way through a relationship. It isn't fair on either of us, so we will break up after graduation. We are both sad about it, but we also agreed it is the only way to do it." Finn explained, looking a bit sad.

"Hey, man, I'm so sorry. Can Kurt or I do anything to help?" Blaine asked, genuinely worried. The thought of that happening to him and Kurt was sending dread snaking through his belly and he was getting a little sick to his stomach.

"No worries. We have talked it all out and I think it will be okay. I think we will get back together one day," Finn said, turning into the driveway. "You need some help getting in the house, dude?"

"Nah, I think I'll be okay," Blaine said, but when he got out of the car, he pitched forward and Finn barely grabbed him before he hit the cement.

"Sheesh! I didn't realize I was so dizzy!" Blaine exclaimed. Finn helped him into the house and got him comfortable on the sofa. He fixed Blaine some lunch and sat and watched a movie with him until he was asleep. Going into the bedroom, Finn came back out with a blanket and tucked his brother's boyfriend in. He stopped to really look at him. The stitches looked red and angry, the eye was swollen completely shut, but he had a beautiful expression on his face and Finn could see what Kurt saw in this boy. The thought went through his head, like it had several times before, that Kurt was one lucky guy to have Blaine in his life.

Blaine's cell phone rang.

"Blaine?"

"Oh, hello, Kurt. Are you feeling better today? How are the stitches?" Kurt had been complaining about the stitches from the surgery itching.

"Not too bad today. It has been two weeks, so the doctor says if it looks good tomorrow, I can go home. Well, not home to Ohio, but home to the Warner's house. Are you going to be here soon? Dad was just here, but he went to lunch with Carole and Finn."

"Ah, probably not today, Kurt. I have some things to take care of, and you yourself told me to stay away for a while," Blaine tried to keep the hurt from his voice. He knew in his heart that Kurt hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, but they were sensitive all the same. Plus, he wasn't ready to let Kurt see what his face looked like right now.

"Not today? Oh. I see. I'm sorry, Blaine, I didn't mean it. Can you forgive me? I was really out of line, I know. Maybe it was the medication?" Kurt grasped at straws, not wanting to admit it was his fault his boyfriend was staying away.

"Don't worry about it, Kurt. All is forgiven, but I need to do a few things today. I'll be there tomorrow, I promise. Now, eat some lunch and I'll call you this evening," Blaine ended the call. He felt bad, but he was also a little angry and a day apart might do them both some good.

He went back in to the bedroom and laid down to rest for a while, and Lenore found him sound asleep. She took a quilt and covered him, gave him a quick peck on the cheek and went back down to the kitchen to fix herself some soup.

Several hours later, Kurt was really frustrated. He wanted company, but didn't want to call Blaine back. Blaine seemed angry, and had every right to be, so Kurt just picked up a magazine and tried to read. That lasted a few minutes and he was as frustrated as he had been before. The nurse came in and offered to help him wash up, so that wasted another half hour. The minutes were ticking by so slowly and it was giving Kurt all kinds of time to regret his bad temper of yesterday. He finally thought he couldn't stand it another minute and called Blaine.

"Blaine?" he started out cheerful, but Blaine could hear the tremor in his voice.

"What's wrong, baby?" Blaine asked.

"N..n..n..othing. I just wanted to talk I guess," Kurt said,

"I can hear it in your voice, something is wrong. What? Did the doctor say something? Is there a problem?" Blaine asked.

"No...I just..just wanted to talk. What are you doing today? Did you find our kite? I wish we hadn't lost it, I liked that kite," Kurt said.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Finn and I went back and found it when we went to get the car. It's not damaged, so I brought it home. We can fly it another day, okay? Is that what was wrong?" Blaine said, but he knew that wasn't it.

"Oh, I'm glad you found it. I really had fun flying it. Well, until I fell..." Kurt gave a sort of amused snort.

"So, the doctor thinks you can fly home to Ohio next week? Is that what he told Burt?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. The bones are set, so it isn't dangerous anymore. They had been worried about a blood clot, but I guess that danger has passed."

"A blood clot, in a broken leg?" Blaine wondered.

"Yeah, like in that book we read for Literature class: "A Separate Peace"? The hero of the story breaks his leg when his best friend pushes him out of the tree, then he dies of a blood clot in the leg. Remember?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, yeah. I remember. That was a sad book, I wonder why they made us read it. Like Catcher in the Rye or Red Sky at Morning, one of those heart wrenching coming of age novels," Blaine answered.

There was silence. Not a good silence the way they sometimes enjoyed, but a pregnant pause while the two tried to find something to say to fill the gap in conversation.

"I guess I better go, you probably need sleep," Blaine started to say, but heard a sob in the background. Was Kurt crying?

"Hey, Kurt, what's wrong? Is your leg hurting?" Blaine asked.

"Ah, yeah...it aches. Maybe I'll ask the nurse for a pain pill. Okay, I'll talk to you later, Blaine."

and the phone went dead. Blaine felt terrible. He should have been more sensitive when he saw Kurt at the hospital yesterday. It had to be hard to lie in that bed all day every day, hurting and unable to do much but read or watch television. He overreacted, and poor Kurt had thrown the book in utter frustration with Blaine's inability to be sympathetic.

Kurt, lying in his bed in the hospital was thinking the exact opposite: that he was bad tempered little brat and should never have taken his lousy temper out on someone as kind and attentive as Blaine. He closed his eyes to let the pain medication do its job, dozing into a fitful sleep.

Blaine called a cab and left a note on his bed to say that he was visiting Kurt. He got out of the cab, hurried down the corridors to Kurt's room and stepped in, observing his boyfriend asleep in his bed, curled around a pillow but with his leg in it's cast sticking out at an odd angle. It made Blaine think of the way Kurt looked when he saw him at the bottom of the rocks, the leg at an unnatural angle and blood everywhere. He was a little nauseated.

Walking over to the bed, he saw tear tracks on Kurt's pink flushed cheeks and was instantly sad. He kissed the cheek, running his thumb down Kurt's jawline and then over his cheekbone. Kurt smiled in his sleep and looked so beautiful, Blaine almost cried. This boy, this beautiful boy was his. How could he be so lucky?

"Blaine..." Kurt said softly in his sleep, grasping at Blaine's hand. Blaine put his hand against Kurt's palm and smiled when Kurt wrapped his hand around it. "Oh, Blaine..."

"My angel. I'm here, Kurt, if you need me. I'm here for you," Blaine whispered and Kurt's grip tightened. Blaine pulled in the chair a little closer and sat down, stroking Kurt's hair and calming him with little things said in a soft voice into his neck as Blaine lay his head on Kurt's shoulder. He closed his eyes.

"Blaine..." Kurt murmured, then blinked his eyes for a moment, realizing he wasn't dreaming, that Blaine was here with him. He opened his eyes to take in his boyfriend's gorgeous hazel eyes...and only saw one eye. The other was swollen shut, a deep purple and black bruise covering that part of his face, stitches in a spray across his forehead.

"Blaine!" he shouted and Blaine sat up in a panic, his heart racing before he realized why Kurt was shouting. He lay his hand so it was cupping Kurt's cheek to calm him.

"It's okay, I'm okay, Kurt. Hush, now, and I'll explain. I'm fine, really."

Kurt quieted down so he could hear Blaine, but his grip on Blaine's hand didn't waver.

"Ah, I got hit in the head, it just hit in such a way that it blackened my eye. They had to take a few stitches because the skin on your forehead just bleeds a lot, even with shallow cuts. They had a plastic surgeon on hand, so she did a lot more stitches than usual so it will heal without a noticeable scar. Okay? I'm fine."

While he was explaining, Kurt's eyes got wider and wider until he was visibly trembling.

"Oh, no...Blaine? I did that, didn't I?" he wailed, thrashing in the bed he was so distraught. "I hit you with the book? Oh, my gods, Blaine...Oh, I'm so sorry. How could it have done so much damage?" Kurt looked like he was going to vomit. He was blinking back tears and trying to grab Blaine's arms.

Blaine moved a little closer to comfort Kurt.

"No, it was just a fluke. I know you didn't mean it, I do. It was an accident, honey. I'm fine, I promise..." Blaine babbled on, trying to get Kurt to stop his self punishment.

"Can you let me hold you, baby? I promise I'm okay," Blaine said as he rearranged how things were in the bed. "It's okay, baby, it is. We'll be going home soon to finish school and then maybe we can spend the rest of the summer at the cabin. Okay?" Blaine promised. He just wanted Kurt to calm down so he could hold him. He leaned over and kissed him, moving his warm lips smoothly over Kurt's lips until he stopped sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Blaine, so sorry. It was my bad temper. I will learn to contain it, I'm so sorry," Kurt went on, but Blaine just kissed him on the lips, nuzzling into Kurt's neck, cooing at him when he got too rambunctious, and mostly just holding him close. They had not slept in the same bed for three weeks now, and Blaine had had enough of that. He missed cuddling and snuggling with Kurt.

"Hush now, baby, scoot over, I'm climbing in there with you," Blaine said and toed off his shoes. Kurt moved over and the next thing he knew, Blaine was lying next to him in the bed, holding him close. Kurt closed his eyes, so relieved to have Blaine there – where he belonged. Kurt sighed with contentment as Blaine just melted into his side, arms wrapped around him, face nuzzled into Kurt's neck.

The nurse tiptoed around the sleeping boys, relief plain on her face as she gently took Kurt's blood pressure. It was the first time since he had been admitted that it was normal, and that was very good news. She knew the doctor had been concerned about it and Kurt would heal faster without the worry of high blood pressure looming over him. She shook her head. It was not often that she saw such a connection between two people.

An hour later, Burt walked back in the room. He had taken Carole back to the house to get some rest, but wanted to see Kurt one more time before getting some rest himself. He had a few magazines in his hand and a paper bag with a croissant sandwich for a treat when he came in. There on the bed was his son, leg encased in the plaster cast, asleep in the arms of his boyfriend. A smile came to Burt's lips as he saw them, tangled together, Blaine's cheek resting on Kurt's shoulder. They looked so peaceful. Instead of disturbing the sleeping pair, Burt left the magazines and went back to his car, eating the sandwich on the way.

"Kurt, wake up, buddy. Kurt?" the doctor said, his hand on Kurt's unoccupied shoulder.

"What?" Kurt mumbled, swimming up from the depths of sleep to answer. He wiped his eyes and looked up. "Oh, hello Dr. Goodman."

"Hi, Kurt. How are you feeling?" the doctor smirked.

Kurt looked at him quizzically for a moment before he realized Blaine was still wrapped around him.

"Oh...sorry, I was feeling sad and Blaine just wanted to comfort me, and I was..." Kurt scrambled to explain.

"Now, Kurt, it's okay. I don't object to Blaine being here with you. As a matter of fact, if I had a magical cure like him for all of my patients, I'd be out of a job," Dr. Goodman smiled.

"Magic cure?" Kurt asked, a bit confused.

"Yes. The main reason you are still in the hospital now is that your blood pressure has been so high. As we discussed yesterday, it has been high since you were brought in and we were worried about it. It went to a dangerous level during the surgery, as you know. But after Blaine came to be with you today, your pressure is back to normal," the doctor smiled.

Blaine was waking up and heard this, opening his eyes. "Does that mean Kurt can come home?"

"It does. We can release him tomorrow morning. We do need to keep him one more night to be sure it's going to remain at a safe level, but from what I can see home is the best place for you, Kurt. I have sent all of your records to your own doctor in Lima, so you can see him for all of the follow-up appointments and he can schedule physical therapy. You need to stay in Newport for a few more days, just to make sure it is all stable, then you can go home to Ohio. Do you have any more questions?"

"No, that all sounds good to me, " Kurt said, smiling for the first time in days.

"Ah...I just have one. Can I stay here tonight?" Blaine asked.

"Of course you can. We can't have Kurt's pressure going up again, can we?" the doctor laughed. Normally he would have needed to talk this over with the parents and all, but over the weeks Kurt had been in hospital, the doctor had gotten to know the Hummels and understood about the close bond between Kurt and Blaine. He smiled. "Now, your dinner is on it's way, so I'll let you have some privacy. I ordered dinner for Blaine, too. I will need to speak with the two of you in the morning concerning care of that leg. You cannot be too rambunctious with it for several more weeks because it needs time to heal. We will talk about that later, but for tonight...no..ah...no intimacy that might involve moving that leg, understood?" Dr. Goodman gave them a severe look, which only made the boys giggle because they knew he was trying to be serious and having a hard time of it.

"Thank you, doctor, I'll try to restrain myself," Kurt giggled. Blaine just blushed.

The next evening found Kurt sitting on the sofa, pillows everywhere, watching a movie. He had finally gotten comfortable after coming home. He'd been practicing with the crutches for a week now and was pretty good on them, but it was tiring to walk very far. Blaine was asleep, his head on Kurt's shoulder and the blanket pulled up around his shoulders. Kurt felt a pang of guilt looking at him. The eye was still swollen and the bruise had not yet begun to fade. The stitches would be there for another week, and they looked sore. Tears began to fall, Kurt feeling lower than he could have ever imagined – all Blaine was trying to do was be of help, and this is how Kurt repaid him. It wasn't fair. He needed to think of some way to make him feel appreciated.

Burt walked into the room, taking in the scene: Kurt with his eyes squinted shut in concentration. Burt knew that look – Kurt got it when he thought he'd done something wrong. While he had an idea what that was – Blaine was right there and his injuries were on display – Burt wasn't sure how to fix it. He sat in the chair next to the boys and put his hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Hey, Buddy. Can I do something to help?" he asked very quietly.

"No, Dad, this is something I need to fix myself. I messed up, I need to man up and find a way to fix it. But thank you," Kurt replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose as though he had a bad headache.

"I think he forgave you, son. Probably as soon as it happened. He knows you didn't mean it," Burt assured him.

"I know. I just need to do something – to make it right. Not just for him, but for me. It's like there is this imbalance now, and it's uncomfortable. I want my life back in balance," Kurt sighed.

"You'll think of something. In the mean time, I have booked the flight back to Lima in two days. I know the doctor said a week, but Carole needs to get back to work and I need to get back to the shop. You, Finn, and Blaine need to get back to school. Do you think you'll be ready?" Burt asked.

"Yeah, I think it's time. I did have a wonderful time here, you know. In spite of the accident, we had a great time. I'm glad we came, and I'm glad we found a house to live in when we come here to school. Thanks, Dad." Kurt smiled at his dad.

"No problem, Kiddo. I had a good time, too."

Kurt sat in the wheelchair while Blaine pushed him through the Dayton airport. They were back in Ohio, but not home yet. He just had the car ride and they would be able to rest. It had been a long flight, first on the little Cessna, then on the big plane to here. Kurt hated being in the wheelchair, but it was easier than the crutches in the airport. They got to the doors, Finn and Burt met them with the luggage and they got on the shuttle that would take them home to Lima.

Driving up to the house, the first thing they saw was a banner welcoming them home.

"Oh, I know Mercedes had something to do with this!" Kurt grinned. The shuttle bus pulled up to his driveway and Burt helped him out of the seat. He held the crutches tightly, a little wobbly on them today, and Carole opened the door. Stepping over the threshold, the family went inside to find the whole Glee club was there, food and drinks, banners and balloons welcoming them home.

"Oh, we missed you!" Rachel said, rushing to hug Finn, then Blaine and Kurt. Santana stepped up, hugging Kurt and whispering in his ear, "I missed you, Twinkle Tush!"

All the others were just as happy to see the boys home. They sat for a while getting all the details of what happened on the beach that day, along with all the fun things they did on vacation. In return, the boys heard of everyone else's spring break...trips to Mexico or Jamaica, drunk parties, and all the gossip.

Not long after, the welcoming committee broke up, all of their friends could see how tired they were, so promises to meet at school on Monday were made and the house was once more at peace.

The stairs to the basement proved to be difficult for Kurt to navigate on crutches, but he made it, sinking down on the bed. He was exhausted. Blaine came over to help him get out of the clothes he was wearing and into a T-shirt and his briefs. He couldn't wear any of his tight jeans with the cast on his leg, and he was not willing to cut any of them just to accommodate it, so Blaine found some of his yoga pants and would help him get those over the cast when he got up after the nap. Blaine stripped down to the same and helped Kurt into the bed, covering him with the blankets.

"Do you want company? Or should I sleep on the sofa?" Blaine asked, worried about Kurt's leg.

"Get over here and quit asking stupid questions," Kurt groused. Blaine's eyes flickered over to his boyfriend and he flinched before he realized Kurt was kidding. He had only had the stitches removed that morning, and his scar was sore, but the hurt look in Kurt's eyes when he realized that Blaine flinched because of him was so sad. Blaine slunk over to the bed like a shamed dog, climbing in without looking at Kurt. That made Kurt's heart hurt. He had to make amends in some way.

"Blaine? Are we okay?" he asked in a small voice.

"Of course we are," Blaine said automatically.

"Come hold me, please," Kurt asked, and Blaine was right there. "Blaine, I know something is wrong...out of balance...with us. I can feel it. I know these past couple of weeks was hard on both of us. I had so many plans, but this stupid accident...well, I don't suppose it could be helped. Anyway, I am aware that I have a temper. I have had to rein it in all of my life, and the fact that I hurt the one person I love above all others is just killing me. So, can we do something to mend this? Please?"

"Kurt, I honestly don't have any bad feelings towards you about this," Blaine moved his hand to encompass his face with the scar and the remains of the black eye. "I know you were under pressure, I know you were frustrated, and I just kept pushing you. You did lose your temper and throw a book at me, but I know in my heart you did not do it with malice. So, I look at it the same way I do your fall – an accident. I just want to get past it. Okay?" Blaine said, still not looking at Kurt.

"If everything is okay, then why won't you look at me?" Kurt asked.

Blaine sighed. He scooted closer and they shifted in the bed. Kurt's cast went from his heel to his groin and it was heavy, so special care had to be taken when he laid down. Blaine got the extra pillows and propped the leg in a comfortable position before getting back under the blankets.

"Feel okay like that?" he asked and Kurt nodded. Blaine moved in back to being the big spoon so they could cuddle. "Okay. Heart to heart? I feel bad about the accident. I feel like it was my fault. The whole kite thing was my idea, and I didn't take enough precautions – and you are the one that paid the price. I should have seen that you might fall, I should have been the one running...it was just my fault and now we don't know how much it will affect your walking or dancing or anything. And I just feel badly about it," Blaine said, letting his feelings out for the first time.

"Oh, Blaine. That was not your fault at all. I just fell – I wasn't being careful, I was having too much fun. Please believe me when I tell you that I do not hold you responsible, not for one second. Okay?" Kurt said.

"Okay. I do feel badly, but I suppose you're right, there was no way to prevent this. So, can we call a truce? Because I'm tired and I need to take a nap before we tackle those stairs again," Blaine said, looking straight into Kurt's eyes.

"I agree then, we can let this go and get back to more important things. Come here and kiss me, Blaine." Kurt's eyes shone as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Ladies, gentlemen, scholars and seniors of William McKinley High School. I welcome you to the commencement exercises this morning. Here to introduce you to the graduating class of 2011 is the valedictorian of the junior class, Miss Tina Cohen-Chang."

There was a stir as the graduating seniors filed backstage to get in line to walk across the stage when their names were called.

"Mr. Blaine Devon Anderson," came Tina's voice over the microphone.

Blaine walked across, a wide grin on his face as he searched the audience with his eyes to see his brother, Cooper, cheering. He was sitting next to Lenore and her father, Mr. Warner, who had come to see him graduate. It had been a long, hard road – but worth every minute of it to be with Kurt and to learn so much he could never have learned in his cabin in the mountains of Oregon. He waved and turned to Mr. Figgins, accepting his diploma and walking to the other end of the stage to wait for his friends.

"Miss Rachel Barbra Berry."

They were all called in alphabetical order. When Tina called Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, he walked across the stage, still limping in his leg brace and using a cane, but on his own two feet. The cheers were loud as Burt and Carole whistled and cheered. Kurt gave a sweeping bow and grinned at them with a cheeky smile. He left the stage to fall into the arms of the light of his life, Blaine. They kissed for a few moments until Rachel and Mercedes cleared their throats and Finn poked his brother in the ribs.

It was a glorious day, warm and with a slight breeze. They were standing outside, the ceremony over and all the New Direction friends were stalling, not wanting to part. Kurt was sitting in a chair, his leg still a bit unsteady when he looked across the stadium to see...a red and blue box kite flying over the grass. He grinned and turned to Blaine.

"Our kite?" Kurt asked.

"Yep. I told you I went back and found it. It didn't seem right not to let it fly again," Blaine explained, smiling at Kurt.

"Who is flying it?" he asked, squinting his eyes to try and make out the tiny figures in the distance.

"Sam's little brother and sister. They asked if they could try it out, so I put it together in the garage last night and took it over. I thought the kite deserved a nice home, right?" Blaine asked, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Of course, I couldn't have thought of a better one myself. Thank you, Blaine," Kurt smiled, his boyfriend had the kindest heart in the world.

It was finally time to go and amongst tears and hugs, all of the friends parted to go home. Kurt and Blaine were packed and ready to start out in the morning for Oregon. Mr. Warner was taking them home with him in his private jet for them to spend the summer in Blaine's cabin and the boys could hardly wait. They had already shipped most of the rest of their things to the house in Philomath where they would live with Finn for the next four years of college. They had planned this all down to the last detail, but it also seemed so sudden – to leave their parents, to move away from home. Such a sweet and sad moment.

That night, Kurt climbed into his bed for perhaps the last time in a long, long time. He would probably come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but not before. He knew he would miss his dad. After an hour of tossing and turning, he found his cane and got out of bed, struggling up the stairs to walk around the house one last time.

He stopped in the hallway, looking at the picture of his mother. Sometimes she seemed so clear to him, but others she seemed to have faded away. He could still smell her perfume if he wanted to – she always wore Chanel No 5 and he had her bottle in his backpack. The next picture was of him standing between his parents, a large smile on his face as they stood in front of this house. He still remembered when they bought it, although he was only six. Along the wall were school photos, some of grandparents and aunts and uncles, one of the day his father made the last payment on the shop: "Hummel Tire and Lube" on the new sign. Then there were pictures of Finn as a boy, some with his mother, one with his father holding baby Finn in a dilapidated old recliner chair– the chair that was still in Finn's room and would probably remain there. The last part of the wall of photographs was the wedding: his dad and Carole looking so in love. A few past that of Finn and himself at show choir competitions, when they won Nationals – and prom. He was standing with Finn, Rachel looking so beautiful as she looked up at Finn and Blaine looking at Kurt the same way. It was a wonderful picture and both he and Finn had copies in their suitcases.

The very last picture was new. His dad must have just put it up today: Finn with his arms around Rachel and Kurt with his arms around Blaine, all dressed in bright scarlet robes getting ready to line up for graduation. The love and hope in all of their faces brought tears to Kurt's eyes as he looked at it. He patted the breast pocket of his robe to find a tissue when a clean handkerchief was thrust in his hand. He turned to find his dad standing there, tears in his own eyes as he took his son in his arms and held him tight.

"Kurt, I am so proud of you. I wish your mother was here to see what a beautiful young man you have become. She would be so proud of everything you have accomplished, of everything you are dreaming of, of everything you will achieve. Kurt, you were always a special person, so much like your mom, and I know you are destined for amazing things. Your mother would love Blaine, as much as I do because I can see what he does for you, how you two are meant for each other. Treat him with all the love and respect he deserves, Kurt," Burt said, his voice shaking.

"Oh, Dad, I love you so much. Leaving you is the hardest thing I have ever done. One day I'll be back, I promise, and I know you'll be here waiting for me. Your love is the greatest gift I could ever have, Dad," Kurt said, and dissolved in tears. He held his father as tight as he could, then let go and stepped back.

"Dad, I'll make you proud of me. I will," Kurt said, barely able to get the words out. He flung himself at his father again, arms wrapped around him, his face buried in Burt's neck as he cried.

"Oh, Kurt. I want my sweet little boy back. But that isn't possible, so I'll take the wonderful man he has become. Now, let's get to bed. Tomorrow will be here before we know it."

They parted in the hallway, Burt to walk up the stairs to his room where Carole was waiting to hold him. Thank god for that sweet woman because Burt couldn't get through this without her. Kurt went downstairs, trying to be quiet as he took off his robe and pajamas and slipped into the warm pocket of his bed. Blaine was waiting, arms out to welcome the boy that was the love of his life. He pulled him close, knowing how hard this was for Kurt to say goodbye to the family he loved so much.

It was hours later when Kurt turned over, having found himself too far away from Blaine in the bed. He quietly came close again, lying his cheek on Blaine's chest to hear his heart beating. It was a steady sound, and filled Kurt with feelings of safety and security, and most of all the knowledge that it was beating for him, just as his beat for Blaine. He was undone with the emotions of having to say goodbye to so many friends, to say goodbye to his beloved family, but in all that, he knew to his core that Blaine was his anchor in this world and would keep him safe.

"I'm here, Kurt, and I'll always be here for you. No matter what, I'll be here for you," Blaine whispered and kissed Kurt with all the love he had. Kurt sighed in contentment and kissed him back, knowing it was true.


	20. Chapter 20 - Pooh Sticks

The helicopter was louder than Kurt remembered, so he held his hands over his ears as they descended onto the helipad at the Warner camp. As soon as they landed, Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand and looked into his eyes, seeing the joy in them. As much as Blaine was _over the moon_ at being home, Kurt was just as happy to be back in the place where he fell in love – with the country and with Blaine.

Kurt's leg, still in a brace and somewhat delicate, meant he couldn't climb down from the helicopter, so Blaine passed Kurt into Cooper's arms, who then passed him into Brayden Warner's waiting arms. The doctors gave him a green light for returning to the logging camp for the summer, but due to the severity of the break he sustained in the accident on Newport beach, he had to wear the heavy brace and walk with a cane. Not that it would have mattered to Kurt, he was going to spend the summer with Blaine come what may.

A small group had gathered to greet Blaine and Kurt. They spoke to all the friends that had come, telling them about the trial and all the things of interest that had happened over the past few months, but glossed over the accident. It was hard for both boys to talk about and Kurt's leg in the brace kind of spoke for itself. The conversation went on for a while until another person came to greet the boys: Shannon was there, arms open and ready to pull the boys into a hug. She hefted them into her arms one at a time, gushing about how happy she was to have her boys home again.

"Cookie wants to see you, too. He has been hard to live with the last week, cooking all of your favorite dishes and getting the cabin ready. Only Coop has been in the cabin and not often – and a family of raccoons moved in. It took us two days to evict them!" Shannon laughed, overjoyed to see them.

Kurt and Blaine were greeted by all their friends, before they slipped away to have some time alone in the cabin.

Kurt limped up the path to the front of the cabin, leaning heavily on his cane, a smile etched on his face. He had loved the time he had spent in this wonderful place, in spite of the original reason he had ended up here. Cookie and Shannon had spent a lot of time getting the cabin back in shape, dusting, sweeping, washing everything in the cabin. They had stocked the cupboards and refilled the supply of water bottles. The linen was fresh on the bed, the curtains washed and ironed, the tablecloth new and on the table were a vase of wildflowers, a plate of cinnamon rolls, a pitcher of goat milk, and a bowl of blackberries. It was a toss-up which boy had a bigger grin.

"Oh, my god, it's good to be home," Blaine sighed, flinging himself into the oak settee, pulling Kurt into his lap. "The very best part? Well, besides the blackberries...is having all of this and you, too. Are you glad to be back, Kurt?"

"More than you can even imagine. This is just a tiny slice of heaven, Blaine. And you are my own personal angel," Kurt said, smiling as he nuzzled his nose into Blaine's neck to give him sweet kisses.

In spite of all the food left for their lunch and all the things they could do this first few hours of returning to their home, they just kissed. Holding each other tightly, moving their fingers to comfort and explore, saying little romantic declarations and more and more kissing. It might have lasted all evening and into the night, but instead they broke apart, struggling to get out of the settee and sit at the table to eat the rolls, pouring cups of milk and smiling at the memories. With the first sip of milk, Blaine's face lit up and he stood up, holding his hand out to Kurt. Kurt's mind was in the same place and he took Blaine's hand and they walked without further discussion to the goat pen to find Hugo gone – Shannon had told them he was visiting a few does in another camp – but Betsy and Bossy each stood there with a tiny baby goat at their side.

Kurt giggled, never having been so close to a baby goat, and tried to pet them. Both mother goats were a bit protective, but allowed Kurt to scratch their necks and ears before patting the babies.

"What shall we name them?" Blaine asked.

"I know we will think of perfect names, like Scarlett and Rhett, Nick and Nora? Or Napoleon and Josephine?" Kurt laughed.

"Romeo and Juliet?" Blaine added, "Pete and Repeat?"

They strolled back into the cabin, laughing, not in any hurry, to sit and just relax and plan what they wanted to do. With Kurt's weak leg, he wasn't going to do anything strenuous. It was already sore from coming home and that was why the boys had asked to be left alone to rest the first few days. Besides, the lumber camp was a busy place, and their friends had other things to do than entertain them.

Blaine sat down, helping Kurt onto the bed and running his hands down Kurt's body. Kurt purred into Blaine's ear, indicating how happy he was. They took off their shoes and cuddled together. Kurt had brought the bowl of blackberries with him to the bed, and fed one to Blaine. Blaine opened his mouth, taking the berry with his lips and touching Kurt's fingers with his tongue. He ate it and picked another plump, ripe berry from the bowl and put it to his lips. He leaned over to Kurt and offered him the berry, Kurt taking it, but keeping his mouth over Blaine's and moving his lips over Blaine's soft, warm lips. A few more berries and they were sharing more than food – Blaine licked his way into Kurt's mouth and tasted the sweet juice from the ripe berries he found there.

"Kurt," Blaine whined. "Kurt..."

"What, baby?" Kurt was barely able to answer before Blaine was once again kissing him, his soft tongue moving in Kurt's mouth, as Kurt tried to breathe through his nose and ending up pulling back to get a lungful of oxygen. "Blaine? Are you okay?"

"Never better, I just want you so much – it was absolute hell trying to keep my hands to myself in the helicopter. You were leaning into me, and you smelled so good, and I could feel your heart beating so hard. I know it was just the helicopter ride, but I kept imagining it was for me. Then I brushed against you...your jeans...and felt you.." Blaine cupped Kurt between his legs very gently and felt the hard muscle there respond to him.

"Ah..that is exactly what I mean..." Blaine grinned, outlining what he found with his fingertips and suddenly Kurt was in his lap, his tongue aggressively finding its way back into Blaine's mouth and his hands pushing Blaine back on the bed.

Blaine sighed as he laid back, so relaxed and joyous because he had Kurt here, where he had dreamed of being for the past seven long months. As soon as he was settled, he started to pull Kurt on top of him, eager to feel that hardness in his jeans – only to be met with a yelp and Kurt abruptly sliding away from him.

"Kurt?" he said, scrambling to see what the problem was.

Kurt was rolled away from him on the bed, grasping his leg in the brace and tugging at the leather straps that held it on his leg.

"Kurt, what happened?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, just the brace...it twisted and it hurt really badly, I was trying to loosen it so I could lie down on the bed properly. I'm sorry, what a mood-breaker. I can fix it, just give me a second..." Kurt said, fiddling with the metal buckles that held the straps in place.

"No, no, sweetheart, just lie down and I'll fix it for you. That's right...here, and then let's just get rid of all these encumbering clothes..." Blaine grinned, gently unbuckling the brace and taking the metal bars and hinges off of Kurt's leg. He went on to remove Kurt's jeans and shirt, leaving him in his t-shirt and briefs. It was warm enough that they didn't need the thermals they had worn last winter. Blaine took off his clothes down to the same layer and pulled back the covers, helping Kurt to slide under and with a glance to be sure the bar was across the cabin door. Blaine got in next to him.

"How is your leg now? Did you hurt it when you twisted it?" Blaine asked with concern. It was a very long way to a hospital if Kurt hurt his leg again.

"No, it just gives me a twinge if I put pressure on the knee itself, and I kind of did that. It's okay now, but I have this other problem, I might need help with," Kurt jiggled in the bed.

"Okay, baby...what can I do?" Blaine said, serious and a little worried.

"It needs something...here, give me your hand..." Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes and took his hand, bringing it under the blankets.

Blaine's eyes got wide as Kurt brought his hand between his legs, placing it directly on his cock and adding pressure to Blaine's hands until he got the idea and was doing it on his own, a smile on his face.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I can help you with that," Blaine said, enthusiastically.

"Oh! Hmmmmmm..." Kurt hummed in satisfaction as Blaine slid Kurt's briefs down his legs, very gently over his knee, and removed them.

"I better check to see if there's any damage..." Blaine said and dove under the covers, searching out his target in the dark folds of the bed linens, and finding it as though he were using sonar. He was half joking - until he was there, Kurt's cock in front of him almost quivering in excitement.

Over the past seven months, the boys kissed a lot, and rubbed, touched, and hugged, but it was still rare for them to be this intimate. It wasn't that they were too shy, or indeed that they had anything against doing such intimate things. In spite of sharing a bed, having time when they were utterly alone was rare in the Hummel house. Kurt knew that his dad was well aware that he had some type of relationship with Blaine in which they shared intimate moments, and that Burt knew they had sexual encounters, but Burt didn't know to what level the boys had gone. It really wasn't anyone's business but their own and the speculation on the part of their friends and family varied widely.

Santana probably knew the truth – she just seemed to have a sixth sense about things like that, but thankfully had kept her opinions to herself. Puck probably thought they had gone all the way a long time ago, but he thought that about everyone. All of their other friends and family were somewhere in between. The truth of the matter was that Blaine had planned to give Kurt his virginity when they were on vacation to Newport Beach, but then the accident happened and he put it off. It would have been difficult to do with Kurt on those pain meds and with the cast on his leg. It just did not seem like the best timing.

So, as graduation neared, and a lot of their friends were experiencing sex for the first time, both Kurt and Blaine brought it up and talked about it. Both were eager to get past that milestone, but it was such an emotional thing, it said so much about their commitment to each other because neither boy was the kind to jump into that in a casual manner. It just meant too much, something that would change them both forever. Blaine knew he loved Kurt, and was just as sure of Kurt's love for him. Kurt was as sure about Blaine and giving their relationship more time to deepen their feelings seemed right.

The night they had finally had the talk – not just a mention of some vague time in the future that they might have sex – they knew that the act would be their final commitment in their hearts and would bind them together for life. They both agreed it had to be in the cabin where it all began. It was here in this place they would give themselves to each other, commit themselves and their lives to each other. While it had been a forgone conclusion for quite a while, actually saying it to each other made it real.

Ever since that night, Blaine felt a little more comfortable with touching Kurt. He had hesitated for so long in the beginning, shy and unsure of himself. Each time Kurt kissed him back or initiated something, Blaine's heart would pound practically through his chest. It was a source of almost constant amazement to him that Kurt wanted him as much as he wanted Kurt. Even now, lying in his bed with Kurt beside him, sharing intimate touches and kisses, it seemed more like a dream than reality.

Tickling his fingers up the tender skin of Kurt's inner thighs, Blaine left a trail of kisses. He could see just a small amount due to the blankets over his head, but it was enough. He went back to Kurt's knee, feeling the scar from his surgery under his tongue as he licked a place on the underside of the knee. Kurt giggled. Blaine continued, kissing and trailing his fingertips to feel his way to where he wanted to be.

Blaine's tongue was warm and very wet as he nipped a few little bites along the way, then got to the top of Kurt's leg; there was a change in the texture of skin and Blaine felt the shift in his belly, as Kurt let out a sexy sound -something like a squeal – as Blaine's warm breath ghosted over Kurt's testicles. Kurt didn't want to wait, he wanted Blaine's tongue and his mouth to devour him. He didn't make a sound to begin with, but it turned into a high-pitched whine as the thoughts of what Blaine might be planning swept through Kurt's mind. In a move so totally unlike Kurt, Blaine heard his voice muffled through the blankets:

"Lick me, Blaine...oh, don't tease me, baby, lick me with that warm tongue, please..." Kurt whined to Blaine's amazement. Kurt _never_ begged, almost never asked for anything and it was as exciting as it was unexpected. Blaine put out his tongue and touched it to Kurt's testicles, a wide and slow lick from one end to the other, stopping to gently take the left one into his mouth, followed even more gently by the right one. This was the first time Blaine had done this, it was spur of the moment instead of being thought out and Blaine silently cheered spontaneity when he received a gut-deep moan from Kurt. He followed it with a lightly sucking motion as he gathered the skin of his scrotum into his mouth, very gently as he licked it and stroked Kurt's inner thigh to calm himself.

"Oh...ah...Blaine...owwwww, that feels so good...now, lick up the shaft, please, I need to be in your mouth, please...please...owwww..." Kurt moaned, Blaine moving so slowly so he could savor all the sounds Kurt was making, cataloging each in his head to know what felt the best for Kurt.

"Is this what you want, baby?" Blaine asked, before placing the crown of Kurt's cock in his lips, licking the slit then pushing his lips down over the taut skin to encompass as much as he could. Blaine's mouth was watering in anticipation, sliding up and down in delicious friction just to hear Kurt moan. Blaine was in his element, having studied what made Kurt get the hardest or whine the loudest, and applying his memories to try to make it perfect.

"Yes, Blaine, you know what I like...you know..." Kurt babbled, wishing he could be more articulate for a moment, then losing himself in the feelings. He closed his eyes to concentrate, he didn't want to let go yet because he wanted this to last a long time. Blaine did know what he liked, and was doing his best to accommodate Kurt. He slipped Kurt's cock back out of his mouth, replacing his warm tongue with his fingers as he stroked the hard muscle, then moving his mouth back down to lick over Kurt's balls and back further to lick the secret piece of skin that he knew drove Kurt to gasp and cry. His hand was wrapped around Kurt's shaft, stroking slowly, and his tongue was moving, steady and firm until it encountered that elusive pink asterisk that Blaine knew would make Kurt lift off the bed and give a silent scream. He made his tongue soft and flexible, just licking over the skin for a while, massaging and stroking as Kurt's heart beat just that much faster, his eyes snapped open in surprise, and Blaine could feel that this is what Kurt was thinking about.

"Is this good, Kurt?" he had to ask, because Kurt trying to answer when he was in this state of arousal was so hot, the little sounds and grunts and moans...all went straight to Blaine's cock and served to make him strengthen his resolve to give Kurt everything he deserved.

Blaine knew it was getting close, but he didn't want to finish yet. He pointed his tongue and entered Kurt, pushing past the tight barrier of the sphincter ring and into the velvet-soft interior. Kurt sighed as Blaine continued, massaging with his tongue, adding a finger to deepen the experience, saliva working as a lubricant as Blaine stretched the muscle ever so gently.

"Oh...Blaine, I need to stop...I have to stop now and we can do this together, okay?" Kurt begged, thinking of Blaine's feelings.

"No, baby, this is all for you. Everything we are doing now is for you and only you, okay? Let me give this to you, it means so much to me, Kurt. Let me give this to you..." Blaine said, wanting Kurt to let loose and just enjoy for once. He heard a soft sigh and Kurt was squeezing his hand. Blaine just wanted to make Kurt feel everything he could right now.

Blaine went back to caressing Kurt with his tongue and fingers. He took Kurt into his mouth once again, pushing down to devour him whole and pull back, only to plunge forward again. He was brushing against the fine hair on Kurt's belly with is nose now, able to get Kurt's cock down his throat for a ways before swallowing – dragging a moan from Kurt's throat that he had never heard before. He almost came on the bed hearing it.

Moving his hands back, he took the lube he had ready and coated his first two fingers and began to massage once again, moving two fingers inside and calculating where he needed to move. He gently massaged his way into the soft tunnel, blindly finding his way as Kurt's breath caught. He must be close.

"Here, baby, is this okay?" Blaine asked when his fingers got closer. He knew he was in the right place when Kurt squealed and pushed back, impaling himself on Blaine's fingers.

"More, Blaine, push harder, I need it so badly, Blaine, please, don't stop, find it, push hard..." and Blaine rubbed his finger firmly over the right place, back to sucking hard on Kurt's cock and then Kurt was absolutely still -frozen in the nanoseconds before the world came apart and the heat swirled into his blood, so much stimuli in so many places suddenly forged into one powerful element, and lava was streaming up Kurt's shaft, exploding with the most concentrated burst of absolute orgasm he had ever felt.

It was so silent, so profound, that Blaine couldn't hear a thing, except for his name being called over and over, calling in such demand that he had to follow – and his orgasm took over his whole conscious thought for a short time. It lasted for so long, the hot, flowing, amazing feeling he shared with the boy he loved so much...and they collapsed, holding on to each other before they floated away into the atmosphere.

"Blaine...Blaine...oh my god I love you..." Kurt said, hoping to hear the same in return. He wasn't disappointed as Blaine shouted his name and he closed his eyes and just held on.

Kurt was the first to blink himself awake, Blaine's body stretched next to his in the aftermath of their morning together.

"Welcome home, my love," Blaine said, slipping his hand across Kurt's abdomen and running his fingertips along the hipbone he found there. He leaned over and kissed the concave belly, smoothing his other hand on the top of Kurt's thigh. He took a deep breath to wake up and caught the whiff of Kurt's arousal, spent in the morning of loving each other.

Kurt's hands went to Blaine's underarms and he grasped him tightly and pulled him up on the bed, nose to nose, to kiss his boyfriend, sliding his hands around so they rested lightly on Blaine's back.

"Thank you, baby, it is good to be home. I could not have dreamed a better homecoming," Kurt said, working his lips around Blaine's neck to kiss and nip at the nape of his neck where he knew he could make goosebumps appear.

"Ohhh...quit!" Blaine squeaked, "That tickles!"

"But, I'm hungry!" Kurt said, giggling. "And this meat is tender..."

"Hey, no, no...I'll get up and fix you something to eat. Stop!" Blaine rolled away from Kurt's relentless pursuit of the tender flesh he was nibbling. Kurt stopped nibbling and giggled.

"Hey, daylight's burning – let's go outside and enjoy this fine weather while we can," Kurt suggested. It was painful to walk far distances, but he could use a short walk in the afternoon sun to reacquaint himself with the forest here.

The boys walked down the deer track they used to set the rabbit snares on, hand in hand, Kurt limping a bit on his bad leg. He held his cane in his other hand and they walked slowly.

"We should set some snares this week, Blaine, I have this craving for rabbit pie. Oh, and maybe we can go fishing? Trout sounds so good right now. What do you think?"

"It sounds wonderful to me, Kurt. I missed this so much..." Blaine said, dreamy eyed as he took in the beautiful vistas. The thick but fresh smell of pine made him almost light-headed and he turned to look at Kurt.

"Kurt? C'mere, please," Blaine asked in a soft voice, then took Kurt tenderly in his arms when he came. "I just wanted to tell you something, and I want you to understand, okay?"

"Of course, Blaine...what is it?" Kurt asked, wiping a single tear from Blaine's cheek.

"I was worried about something, and I know you won't bring it up...I want you to know that although I am glad to be back in my home, I never once regretted being with you in Ohio. Not once. You know that, don't you?" Blaine asked, looking deep into Kurt's eyes, trying to make sure he understood.

"Oh, Blaine, I know that. I loved that you were with me, I loved everything about you being with me – and I do understand, maybe more than you know. I loved being with my family, with my friends, back in the place where I grew up. I was comfortable there – until you opened my eyes to this," Kurt waved his hand to encompass everything around him, "and I am as glad to be back here as you are. I can't really explain how I feel, but it is like I was living this great life: I had the best dad in the world, my step-mom and brother and some of the greatest friends anyone could hope for. Then one day my whole world crumbles and I get left for dead. How many people can say that? Left for dead.

"You'd think that was the worst life possible, wouldn't you? But then I get tossed under a bush to die, and an angel with the cutest curly hair comes along and my life is never the same. You not only saved my life, Blaine, you became my life.

"I was happy to finish high school in my hometown, with you at my side, and we had some really good times...like being locked in Tana's linen closet with Sam..."

Blaine blushed, refusing to look at Kurt for a second, then giggling.

"It was hard...the trial, the fight and Karofsky, all the noise and then just when we were having a great vacation, the accident." Kurt reached over and traced the thin, almost invisible line from the book that hit Blaine's face. He looked down for an instant, but took a breath and looked back into Blaine's eyes.

In spite of the bad times, even in spite of the good times...the fishing, the swing, the kite, the Valentine cards...I am truly, forever, grateful to be back here with you, Blaine. I love you, you know, and this is where my life really began."

Blaine couldn't say a word. To know that Kurt felt the same way he did was not a new thing in their relationship, but to have it spelled out all at once...he hadn't known he could feel this much joy. He leaned forward and kissed Kurt's soft pink lips.

"I love you, too, baby."

They walked on, down the path until they got to the bridge over the small branch of the river. They usually fished in the main part of the river, but this stream fed into that river and was wide and a little shallow here. The bridge was made of logs and could accommodate large logging equipment.

"Hey, Kurt...let's play Pooh Sticks!" Blaine blurted out, grinning at his own suggestion.

"Play what?" Kurt asked.

"Don't tell me you never played Pooh Sticks? You know...Winnie-the-Pooh? Piglet? Christopher Robin and the Hundred Acre Woods? " Blaine asked, incredulous.

"Well, of course I know who Winnie-the-Pooh is, my mom used to read that to me. She always said my dad was Eeyore," Kurt grinned.

"It's from those books. You take a stick and drop it in the water, then rush to the downstream side of the bridge and who ever's stick comes out from under the bridge first wins!" Blaine explained, as though he were talking to a five year old child.

"Okay...sounds like fun..." Kurt said, looking over the sticks he saw on the ground under the trees. He decided on an aspen stick and picked it up, turning to see Blaine with one from an ash tree. They walked to the center of the bridge, and leaned over the upstream side, looking at each other and grinning.

"Ready?" Blaine asked and Kurt nodded. "Three, two, one, launch!"

They dropped their sticks and rushed to the other side of the bridge, eager to see which stick made it under first.

"Okay, the edge of the shadow is the finish line?" Kurt suggested and Blaine agreed. A few other sticks came under the bridge, and some dragonflies before the two sticks were seen. Both boys cheered theirs on, but Kurt's got caught in a little eddy and Blaine's was the first one over the finish line. He cheered and Kurt kissed his cheek. "Let's go again!"

They spent the next hour playing Pooh sticks and giggling, walking down the path to investigate a sound from a hollow tree – which turned out to be an owl. That made them laugh and laugh, Kurt asking where Tigger's house was or if they could go visit Roo's sandpit.

They found some chokecherries and picked enough to make some jelly, putting it in the basket they had brought their sandwiches in. They came back to the cabin tired but happy, throwing themselves down in the settee.

"What are you cooking me for dinner?" Blaine asked, grinning up at Kurt.

"What? Hey, I thought you were cooking me dinner!" Kurt objected, smiling.

"How about I cook you dinner?" a voice came from the open door. The boys looked up to see Cooper standing there, a large covered platter in his hands, a smile on his beautiful face.

"That sounds wonderful!" Kurt crowed, happy he didn't have to do anything because his knee had begun to ache.

Sitting at the table with Cooper was just what the boys needed to make it a great day. Hidden on the platter under the cover were six trout, dipped in cornmeal and fried to perfection. There were baked potatoes, green beans with bacon, and for dessert an apple pie.

"Now, I know you didn't cook this yourself...was it Cookie?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, but I caught the fish, and that's the most important part, after all," Cooper said.

"It was the best meal I've had since I left Oregon," Kurt proclaimed. He loved trout, and this was just the pinnacle of trout – each one fried crisp on the outside with tender, sweet flesh that practically melted in his mouth. "Thank you, Cooper, and we'll go thank Cookie and Shannon in the morning. I am so glad to be home." Kurt laid his tired head on Blaine's shoulder.

"It's been lonely with you gone, Squirt. I plan to use this summer to the best of my abilities since you're leaving for college come September. So, tell me more about that...I know you and Kurt have a house in Philomath with Finn, and you're going to Oregon State to study forestry. What else?"

They sat and talked about the courses both boys planned on taking, and Blaine's desire to make a difference in the forest that was close to his heart. Cooper told Kurt he could pick up some extra money fixing equipment the same as he did when he was there before.

"I don't know if I can climb up there with this damn brace on, but I'll do my best."

Cooper nodded his head, "I think August can arrange something."

Blaine looked at his brother, knowing what the next order of business was going to be.

"Are you ready to fight? Because I know you've been practicing, right?" Cooper kidded, knowing that Blaine had no time to get ready for a bout with graduation and all the things he was doing in Ohio...not to mention, his coach was here in Oregon.

"Ah, no. Actually, I hadn't given it much thought at all. I haven't been near a punching bag for five months. I'm not sure its even something I want to do anymore, Cooper. It was nice to get a few dollars put away, but I mostly did it because I was bored, and I'm never bored anymore," Blaine said seriously.

"Then don't do it. If you don't love the sport, you don't belong in it. Okay?" Cooper said.

"I don't want to let anyone down, Coop. I did used to enjoy the feeling of being able to move my muscles, of the feeling of being at my best. Do you miss it?" Blaine asked, not sure if it was appropriate to ask such a question.

"You know, Squirt, I did at first. I felt like I was a failure. You know I quit because I got hit in the head, but my life isn't worth the risk, so – to answer your question, yes I do miss some parts of boxing. The feeling you get when you know you've worked so hard, you've given it your all to get to the top. What I don't miss is the worry all the time that I won't duck or move out of the way in time and it will end my life, bleeding out on the last few minutes of my life on the canvas. So, yes...I am content with my decision to stop boxing. I can put that energy towards something else and be just as happy. And I know you will, too," Cooper said, patting his brother on his knee.

"I'm glad you told me that, Cooper. I don't think I'll go back to boxing. I have every intention of keeping fit, but not for the ring. Thank you for being so honest with me," Blaine said.

"And with that, I need to get going. I'm due at the far project in the morning and I need to get some sleep. Kurt, it is good to see you again. Take care of my little brother, okay?" Coop asked, pulling Kurt into a squeeze and a pat on the back before he turned to Blaine, "You, take care of Kurt. I love you, Squirt."

"Bye, Coop. I love you, too," Blaine said.

"Goodbye, Cooper, and thank you for dinner," Kurt said.

Their first day back at the cabin had been a strenuous one and both Kurt and Blaine were glad to see the sun go down. They washed up the dishes and got everything ready for bed, walking to the outhouse together, then looking up at the stars on the way back.

Back in the cozy cabin, they stripped off their clothes along with their cares and washed in the basin. Blaine slipped on a t-shirt and tossed one to Kurt when he was done, then they crawled into bed together.

Blaine was so tired, he just lay down next to Kurt and closed his eyes, ready for sleep. He turned to pull Kurt's back close to his chest and tucked the blankets around them. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

It was a few hours later when Blaine woke up, a bit chilly despite the layers of blankets. It tended to be chilly at this altitude no matter how close the calendar was to July. Kurt had moved across the bed, and Blaine was feeling across to bring him back closer.

His hand found Kurt and he tugged to bring him closer when he felt Kurt sniffing and a little stiff in his arms.

"What's wrong, baby?" Blaine asked, kissing Kurt's temple.

"It was something Cooper said," Kurt revealed, but stopped talking immediately.

"What? What did he say to you?" Blaine asked, starting to get upset with his brother.

"It wasn't anything he said to me, Blaine. He said it to you, but I heard it. It was what he said about boxing – that you could get hit once and bleed out in the ring. Is that true?" Kurt looked at him with those ice blue eyes, so liquid and filled with pain.

"Yes. Not likely, but yes, it is true. It is part of the reason I quit boxing. Kurt, before I didn't feel like I had anyone to really live for. My parents were dead, I had no boyfriend, there was really no one except Cooper, and he was gone most of the time. So when I started boxing, it didn't matter. I was good at it, I got paid well, and it was easy for me. I found out why Cooper quit one day after a fight. I'd won and was in the showers when I heard one of the contenders was talking about Cooper and why he quit," Blaine said, holding Kurt closer and rubbing his nose on Kurt's shoulder.

"When I started boxing, I swore I'd never let my fear force me out of the ring. I was foolish... and Kurt? it wasn't fear for myself that forced me out – it was fear for my love, for you. What could I leave you if I died in the ring? That is what made me quit," Blaine said, a few tears making their way down his face.

Kurt took in a lungful of air, he wasn't expecting that. He knew how much Blaine loved boxing, he'd seen his face when he was training and even through the hardest sessions, the love of the sport was there, shining through the concentrated mask on his face, the sheer exuberance of physically reaching the end of his endurance and then trying for more. He'd seen Blaine in the ring and he ran towards the other fighter, not because he wanted to beat him up, but because the challenge of it made Blaine's blood sing. Blaine had given that love up...for Kurt, for the boy he loved with all his heart, with every fiber of his being. And Kurt felt a stab of guilt, but he didn't say anything because in his heart of hearts, he was selfish. He did not want to lose Blaine on a cold canvas with a thousand people watching. He didn't want every bout to end in Blaine losing brain cells, getting less able to be his true self. So he didn't do what his first instinct had been: to tell Blaine to go back to the sport he loved. No, he leaned forward and kissed the tears from Blaine's cheeks and said, "Thank you."


	21. Chapter 21 - 'Dolce far Niente'

The boys' first week back at the cabin was full of doing nothing. Well, not doing _nothing_, but just pleasurable things like making rabbit pie once again, playing with the baby goats, going fishing, having a cribbage marathon. It was mindless and fun and they just did whatever they felt like doing whenever they felt like doing it.

"Ah, Dolce far niente," Blaine said, sitting down to dinner one night, smiling over the table at Kurt.

"What? I don't speak...Italian?" Kurt guessed, looking at Blaine with curiosity.

"I don't, either. Just a few phrases I learned from a lumberjack that was here one season. 'Dolce far niente' means "How sweet to do nothing'. It's actually the title of a famous painting, but I always liked the sound of it," Blaine explained.

"I like the sound of that, as long as it doesn't last for too long," Kurt agreed, taking Blaine's hand and smiling.

They kissed and cuddled and at night they slept tangled together on the rope bed, whispering those loving things to each other that made everything blissful. It was magic.

Kurt was walking back inside from feeding the goats. They weren't milking them yet, not until the babies were weaned, but they needed to be fed. He stepped out of the shed only to be backed against the side of the cabin by a huge wolf, not exactly snarling, but definitely not friendly. The wolf came closer, sniffing and then waved its tail.

Kurt knew wolves didn't wag their tails in greeting, and this one didn't look like it was all wolf. Just the same, he was cautious and didn't look the animal in the eye, just turned a bit to the side and called out to Blaine.

"Ah, Blaine? We seem to have an unfriendly visitor?"

Blaine stepped to the door and his jaw dropped, he froze and then looked at Kurt. Did he need to get the fireplace poker to brandish at the huge canine?

Then he started to grin. He bent his legs and went down on his knees and called softly, C'mere, fella," and held out his hand. The big wolf-dog came over to him, sniffing his hand.

"Where's Lenore, big guy?" Blaine asked in a soft voice, so as not to upset the animal. Knowledge dawned on Kurt's face. "Ah, you think this is Lenore's wolf-dog puppy? Wow, he's grown!"

Lenore rounded the corner of the cabin, looking for her pal and seeing him sniffing at Blaine, she smiled.

"Oh, so you've made friends with Balto?" she asked, smiling. She was wearing her tight blue jeans with the ever present embroidered peasant blouse and vest that showed off each and every curve of her body, her long pale blond hair done up in braids and coiled on her head. She smiled at Kurt, then her eyes went to Blaine. Her whole demeanor changed and Kurt could see the fondness she had for his boyfriend was still there. He didn't know whether to be jealous or to be sorry for her.

"Wow, he's grown!" Kurt said, trying to be pleasant. What he wanted to do was ask her to leave. First it was his boyfriend, then his brother. This girl needed to calm her hormones down. How old was she? Fifteen?

"Yes, he has. He isn't particularly friendly, so he must remember you two from when you fed him when he was a puppy," she said, finally smiling at Kurt, too.

Blaine stood up.

"It's good to see you, Lenore, would you like to come in and have some breakfast with us?" Blaine asked. Kurt rolled his eyes where neither of them could see him, and followed them inside.

"We were just getting breakfast on the table, Lenore. I made pancakes and we have mulberry syrup or chokecherry jam?" Blaine smiled.

"Oh, that sounds great. Did you make the jam?" she asked.

"Kurt and I found a grove of chokecherries the first day and we picked so many – I was thinking of making wine, but settled for jam this time. I had a bunch of jelly jars, so we made it on Wednesday. I have a few jars to send home with you if you'd like them," Blaine offered.

"Thank you, Blaine, Kurt, that's so nice. What are you two doing today?" she asked.

"No exact plans yet, why -what did you have in mind?" Kurt asked. He couldn't spend every day alone with Blaine. Damn it.

"I was going to walk over to the river and down to where the otters play. They are so cute, and I thought maybe we could all go? We can walk slow and it isn't much climbing at all, Kurt. Do you think your leg would be okay?" Lenore offered.

Blaine looked at Kurt and got a slight nod, Kurt would be okay with this.

"Sure, Len, I think it sounds like fun. We can make some sandwiches," Blaine said, thinking about what else they could bring to eat for lunch.

"Oh, no. I have it all packed and ready to go. Are you guys done here?" she asked.

Kurt changed his shoes and Blaine helped him tighten the brace to make sure it was holding his knee in the proper position. In a few minutes they were all ready. Balto ran ahead, frisking through the trees and returning to Lenore's side from time to time.

The walk wasn't too strenuous and Kurt did okay because Blaine set the pace and insisted on resting several times. They finally reached their destination: a grove of trees next to a bend in the river. Blaine helped Kurt to sit down on a fallen log and get his leg so it was resting comfortably. Once they were all settled, they watched the river bank for a while, keeping still and quiet. Balto lay down and went to sleep at Lenore's feet.

"I'd think he would scare the little guys away," Kurt observed.

"No, we come here to eat lunch a lot. I think the otters are used to him. It was hard to teach him not to chase them to begin with, but he learned." She leaned down to pet Balto, who licked her hand and put his head back on his front paws.

A little while later, they heard a noise and saw a tiny head emerge from behind a rock near the river. It was followed by a sleek body on funny little feet, running down to the mud on the bank of the river and sliding down the slippery slope into the water.

Kurt giggled at how cute the little animal was, and another appeared. This one was followed by two tiny baby otters, jumping and running across rocks to the mud to slide into the water – leaving the people on the bank laughing at their antics. They sat and watched the otter family slide and run, catch fish and lie on their backs in the water to eat. They were an endless source of amusement and nobody noticed the hours slip by until Blaine's poor empty belly grumbled and Kurt giggled.

"I think we had best eat now, right, Blaine?" Kurt asked, trying and failing to hide the grin on his face.

"I could eat..." Blaine said, trying to ignore Kurt's ribbing. He got up to help Lenore set out the food on a stump. There were sandwiches and apples, potato salad and juice. They ate and laughed and had a great time together.

Kurt was leaning against a tree in the warm afternoon sunshine, having eaten his fill, and began to doze off after the filling meal. Blaine put his jacket around Kurt's shoulders and tucked it in to keep him warm, then he and Lenore sat and talked about how the business was going, how various people were doing, what was on the horizon for the company. Blaine didn't notice Lenore getting closer to him. He was sitting a few feet from Kurt, his back against another tree, trying not to fall asleep. Lenore was scooting closer whenever Blaine looked away, and she was finally next to him. She glanced over to make sure Kurt was asleep.

"Did you miss me when you were gone, Blaine?" Lenore asked, in a subdued voice, laying her hand on Blaine's forearm. "I missed you. I missed all the good times we had when you lived at my house, those mornings when I climbed in your bed with you," she said, her voice soft and a few decibels deeper than normal.

"Ah...Lenore, I was with Kurt in Ohio. I did miss some things about living here, but it was fun and I learned a lot of things. I'm glad I went. Even if I never end up living in a city, it was good to live there for a while," Blaine said, getting uncomfortable, but not knowing how to stop her.

"I missed you so much, Blaine. There isn't anyone here I know as well as I know you. I'm glad you're back. We could go for a walk while Kurt's asleep, you know. I don't think he'd mind..." she looked at Blaine with begging eyes.

"Oh, no, I don't think so, Lenore. I'm fine just staying here," Blaine said, scooting back a little more.

Lenore was nothing if not persistent.

"You know, Blaine, after the summer, Kurt will be going to college, and you won't be living here anymore. But if you and I were to be together...the way our parents always planned it, you would never have to leave. Ever. If things went a certain way, this company might be yours someday."

"Lenore, what are you saying? I am going to college with Kurt. We're sharing a house. I am not with you, and although we played together as children, I am unaware of any plans any of our parents had for some sort of arranged marriage!" Blaine's voice got louder the more upset he got. He had no plans to be with Lenore, and he was a little scared if she was planning something like this. He decided to get up and walk a little, get the weird thoughts out of his head. He knew she had been enamored with him for some time – she practically stalked him for a while. When he lived with the Warners after his father died, it was true she used to come in his bedroom and climb in bed with him – but he didn't want her there. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, she had just been through some terrible surgeries on her legs and back due to the fire she'd been trapped in, but he had no romantic feelings for her. As a matter of fact, he was angry with her because he still sort of blamed her for his father's death.

"Lenore, stop. I do not want to be with you. We are friends, but that is where the line is drawn. I am gay, and I have no interest in having some kind of physical relationship with a girl. So, don't embarrass yourself, just stop before I say something I can't take back. I'm with Kurt. I love Kurt, and we want to be together for the rest of our lives. Don't you understand? Let's just be friends, okay?" Blaine asked.

Lenore pouted, getting up and walking a ways away. She was hurt, but she also knew he was right. He had never given her any indication that he was interested in anything but friendship. She sighed, but she rationalized, it was better to be friends with Blaine than to make him angry enough to cut her out of his life. She resolved to take this setback for what it was, but she remained hopeful that he would one day get tired of Kurt and see her as something more than a friend.

She walked back, a smile on her face and her hand outstretched. "Truce?" she asked.

"Truce," Blaine said, shaking her delicate little hand.

Kurt stretched his arms up and yawned. It was just for show, he'd been listening to the conversation between Blaine and Lenore all along, but didn't want to interrupt. It made him sad that the girl would not stop pestering Blaine, but he did understand the attraction. He sighed and looked around. They had packed up the picnic things and Balto was somewhere nearby. He could hear him rustling in the brush, but couldn't see him.

He went to get up, but his knee had frozen, he tried to turn another way, but it was not moving. He sat back down, rubbing the knee. Blaine came over, getting down on his knees to help. He leaned over to kiss Kurt and whispered in his ear, "Oh, I'm glad you're awake. I have some thing to tell you later. I love you, baby."

"Oh, Blaine, I love you, too...so much," Kurt cooed, not looking at Lenore. He pulled Blaine close and kissed him gently at first, but then licked the split between Blaine's lips, forcefully, until Blaine's eyes opened along with his mouth and Kurt pushed his tongue in, running it along the back of his boyfriend,s teeth and then to fence with his tongue, ending in a soft, wanton whine that he used to ask for more. By the time he was done, Blaine was hard and it was difficult to hide that, especially since Kurt was rubbing against Blaine's crotch with his elbow as if by accident. He looked at Blaine's dark eyes and promised him more as soon as they got back to the cabin. Lenore was standing a few feet away, staring, and Kurt just happened to look her way.

"Oh, Lenore, I'm sorry. How rude of me. I forgot you were here, honey." Kurt said in his sweetest voice, looking down as if he were contrite – when in actuality, he was trying to hide a smile from Blaine. Lenore stamped her foot and walked a little ways away.

Blaine helped Kurt remove the brace, straighten out his jeans and put the brace back on straighter. He lifted Kurt, gripping under his arms, and got him walking a little.

"Is that okay? You can walk alright now?" Blaine said in a worried voice. He didn't want Kurt to overtire himself, and he was a bit concerned they had done too much today.

"No, Blaine, I'm fine. Just had to get it on correctly and now it feels great. Well, everyone ready to go?" he asked, looking over at Lenore innocently.

"Yes, okay," she said. "Balto! Let's go, boy."

They walked back to the cabin in silence, listening to the birds singing in the trees for a while. Kurt was holding Blaine's hand and as he walked he thought of a song. He squeezed Blaine's hand, smiled into his eyes and began to sing,

_Oh yeah, I'll tell you something  
I think you'll understand  
When I say that something  
I wanna hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand_

Oh, please, say to me  
You'll let me be your man  
and please, say to me

You'll let me hold your hand  
Now let me hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand

And when I touch you i feel happy, inside  
It's such a feeling  
That my love  
I can't hide  
I can't hide  
I can't hide

_Yeah you, got that something  
I think you'll understand  
When I say that something  
I wanna hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand  
I wanna hold your hand_

Blaine was in dreamland, he loved to hear Kurt sing, and this was such a wonderful song. Instead of singing it like the Beatles did, he sang it like a ballad and it just melted Blaine's heart.

"Blaine, sing it with me, okay?" Kurt asked, and Blaine joined him for the last two stanzas of the song, which ended in them stopping for a long, passionate kiss – the kind that made Blaine forget entirely where he was and who else was with them. Kurt might or might not have been aware of Lenore, turned around on the trail to look at the boys and seeing them in this passionate embrace, bodies dancing together and hands exploring while Blaine whined a sexy sound into Kurt's throat. He had his back to Lenore, but when Kurt opened his eyes for a second, he saw Lenore staring. He looked straight at her and smoothed his hand across the back of Blaine's jeans, cupping the perfect ass cheek in his hand. He was rewarded with a sexy moan and Blaine bucking his hips into Kurt as a result.

Lenore's eyes got huge and she just stood there watching. Kurt had once again closed his eyes and slowly broke off the kiss, massaging that magnificent ass and whispering in Blaine's ear.

"I think we have company, sorry..." although he was not sorry in the least.

Blaine swung around, having forgotten Lenore was with them.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Lenore. Here, let's get home. I'll carry that basket for you," Blaine stammered out, taking the basket to cover certain bulges in his jeans. He looked sad and embarrassed, and Kurt was instantly ashamed for letting his jealousy get the better part of him. He hung his head and walked slower, trailing behind as the three of them reached the wider path that led to the cook house.

They walked in silence, but it wasn't the easy silence of the past few days with Kurt and Blaine strolling through the paths hand in hand. No, this was a tense silence, Kurt feeling shame for being unkind, Blaine feeling guilty for forgetting Lenore was there and flaunting his relationship in front of her, and Lenore herself, knowing that if this was what Blaine wanted and needed, she was in no way able to compete with Kurt.

Balto came to the rescue, although accidentally. He was barking at a tree and grabbed a little creature as it climbed down a branch. Lenore cringed, but didn't say anything. She had long ago accepted that Balto was following his nature and eating small forest creatures, and she couldn't blame him – after all she had rabbit pie for dinner a few nights ago, made from a rabbit caught in one of Blaine's snares.

The wolf dog snapped up the little fuzzy creature, gulping it down in one swallow, and looking for more. When he didn't find any more, he was off down the trail once again, following a scent.

"What was that?" Kurt asked, not sure of the little animal.

"Probably a flying squirrel. Unfortunately. They are on the threatened species list due to too much thinning of the trees in their habitat," Blaine answered. He had read quite a bit about threatened species at the library in Lima when deciding on forestry as his career choice. It made him sad, but there had been nothing any of them could do about Balto. The wolf-dog didn't know any better.

Kurt was looking up in the tree, seeing the little hollow where the squirrel had come out.

"Look up there, Blaine. Is that where she came from?" Kurt asked. They all looked up, searching the tree for the place he indicated. Just then, a small animal came peeking out of the hole. It was quite a bit smaller than the one Balto ate, but Kurt could see it was a squirrel.

"Oh, no..." he said, taking in a breath and blinking his eyes.

"Oh! It had babies!" Lenore said, the sadness in her voice was evident as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. No use crying over a little creature like that, they lived and died in the forest every day.

Kurt looked at Blaine, pleading in his eyes, looking at the brace on his leg.

"Oh, no...I'm not climbing that tree just to get some baby squirrel. No way," Blaine said, looking at two pairs of sad blue eyes. He blinked and looked away. Unfortunately for him, he looked at the baby squirrel. He was a gonner.

"Oh, all right. What is this, a Lassie movie? Next I'm going to have to save Timmy from the well," he huffed. "Well, give me a leg up..."

Kurt and Lenore both rushed to help and they boosted Blaine into the low branches of the tree. He was able to climb up to the squirrel nest, wary of a father squirrel or other dangers. There were none, and it was just the one little guy in the hole, so he reached in with his handkerchief and caught the tiny thing, wrapping it up and placing it carefully in his breast pocket before climbing down to Kurt's strong arms. Kurt swung him down and they all gathered to see the baby.

Blaine unfolded the handkerchief and brought out the tiny squirrel to the ohhs and ahhs of all involved.

"Okay, now who's going to feed this guy? I don't want to be the one to get up at all hours of the night to feed it," Blaine tried to look grumpy, but he was very ineffectual and Kurt and Lenore looked at each other, grinning because they knew him better than that. Blaine, for all of his play acting was the one with a heart of gold and everyone knew he would take his turn to keep this little one healthy and happy.

"I have a big birdcage in the storage shed, Blaine. I'll get one of the men to bring it to you so the little guy can have a safe home," Lenore offered. Blaine knew he was stuck. He rolled his eyes, but looking over at the expression of kind and sweet longing on Kurt's face was enough for him to make up his mind immediately.

"I'll ask Shannon what the best thing might be to feed the little guy. And we need to think of a name," Lenore said.

Kurt and Blaine needed only one glance at each other to know what the other was going to say. They were both smiling when they said in unison: "Rocket J. Squirrel, of course!"

They dissolved in giggles, then Blaine turned to Kurt. "This is fine, but I am not adopting a moose to call Bullwinkle, and that's final."

The giggling started up again. The rest of the way back to camp was filled with good natured kidding and plans for Rocket. Kurt steadfastly refused to call him "Rocky".

It was after dinner and Lenore's second visit that evening, in which she brought numerous pages of information she printed off her computer – having found several articles on how to take care of baby flying squirrels – and the boys felt some relief about how they were going to feed the squirrel: flowers, mushrooms, insects, seeds, spiders (Kurt shuddered at that one), nuts, fruits, and for now goat milk mixed with egg through an eye dropper, thoughtfully provided by Lenore. It was like having a newborn baby.

They thanked her and after she had fed Rocket for the first time, her face a study in caring and love, they had walked her to the cook house where her daddy was going to pick her up later.

Walking back to the cabin, Blaine took Kurt's hand. Kurt was limping more than usual, his leg very sore after all the exercise today. Blaine adjusted his step to accommodate Kurt as they strolled along. He offered his arm, helping to steady his boyfriend the last hundred yards to the porch of the cabin. They stopped right outside the cabin, looking up at the stars as had become their habit over the last nine months, to see where the constellations were. The moon was just a thin sliver tonight and so the stars shone very brightly. Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands and kissed him.

"This is heaven, Kurt. Truly heaven," he cooed, giving him another kiss. Kurt agreed wholeheartedly.

Inside the cabin, Kurt set the bar across the door, pulled the curtains shut across the windows, and got out their pajamas. Blaine readied the basin and poured the hot water into the pitcher so they could bathe.

"What do you miss the most about living in Lima?" Blaine asked, thinking it must be plumbing. It had become too easy to just jump in the shower and turn a knob for hot water. Of course, they could do that at the bunkhouse, it had showers, but the boys much preferred the privacy of the cabin.

"What do I miss? My dad. I miss him fussing over me, although when I'm there and he's doing it, I get irritated – but I guess that would be it," Kurt said, not looking at Blaine for a moment as he pulled the straps of his brace out through the buckles. He looked up to see such a look of sadness on Blaine's face, he instantly jumped up to pull the boy close to him and wrap his arms around him.

"Blaine? What is it? I am happy here, and even if I miss my dad, I can always call him from Lenore's satellite phone. I do miss him, but that happens to every person that goes away to college, and I'll see him again soon..." Kurt stopped talking. He just realized what he was saying and felt like a fool. Blaine wasn't upset because Kurt was missing Burt...Blaine missed his own father and he would never see him again.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I have no right to be feeling sorry for myself when you are missing your own dad. Come here, my love.." Kurt said, drawing Blaine close to him and gathering his trembling boyfriend as close as he could get. He kissed his temple and then his cheek.

"Here, let's get washed up and get into bed. Okay?" Kurt asked and proceeded to wash Blaine as he had done a few times before. He took great care, being gentle and leaving little kisses as he went. They were finally ready and before they got into their pajamas, Kurt coaxed Blaine into the bed, tucking the blankets around them in a little nest.

By this time, Blaine had recovered enough to speak, and he was immediately contrite over his behavior. "I'm sorry, Kurt. There was no call for all that drama. I am just tired and it hit me funny, thinking about how much my dad would love you. I know he would have approved of our relationship, he would have been thrilled that I have someone so kind and smart and caring in my life," Blaine explained.

"Really, I'm fine. Now, I think we should look at your leg. It was a long day and you were on it more than usual. I saw you limping the latter part of the day, so I'm thinking we should stick around the cabin tomorrow, give it a rest. Okay?" Blaine smoothly changed the subject. Kurt was very aware of this, but let him do it. He could see that talking about his dad right now was painful for Blaine.

"You're right, my leg is sore. I was thinking about talking you into massaging it a little? Please? And I'll return the favor...massage something, you know," Kurt grinned.

"Deal," Blaine said, grinning back.

Blaine got up and busied himself near the stove, then brought some of the lanolin cream out and rubbed a big dollop between his palms before touching Kurt's knee very gently. He could see the waves of pain cross Kurt's face, but Kurt didn't let out so much as a whimper as Blaine smoothed it around the swollen knee. Starting at his upper thigh, Blaine began stroking down the leg, pressure gentle but firm, until he was near the knee, then he very lightly stroked until he reached the calf. Rubbing the skin lightly, then increasing the pressure to massage the muscles, tendons, and ligaments underneath, Kurt laid in the bed, cringing whenever Blaine's hands got near his poor, sore knee.

_Kurt had been doing physical therapy since he was in the hospital, then continued in Lima. A few days ago Blaine's boxing trainer, Pete, came to pay a visit and looked at the knee._

"_Hey, young man, they did a good job of sewing you back together, eh?" he asked, running his fingers up and down the leg to determine where the sore places were._

"_I think so, it was a bad break, but I've been working hard to make it right again," Kurt answered. He really liked Pete and Blaine had been especially happy that Pete was coming to work on Kurt's leg. _

"_You know, with a weakness like this, it will never heal the same. You knew that, right?" Pete said._

"_Ah...no, they never told me that," Kurt had said, a little frightened. He trusted Pete a lot more than he trusted the doctors._

"_Nope. The bones will scar over, sometimes making the scarred part stronger than the regular bone itself, so you have to be more careful because it might make the bone easier to break. I don't want to scare you, kid, but you deserve to hear the truth. These doctors...they know this stuff, but they won't tell you because they are sure you're gonna sue their asses off. Well, I don't blame them, it happens. But I've been dealing with injuries all my life, and I'll always tell you the truth," Pete winked at Kurt, putting him a little more at ease._

"_Now, let me tell you how it is. You can't work too much on making this knee heal. You'll make it hurt and it will irritate it to the point you're damaging it. What you need to do is build up the less-used muscles around your knee so they can take over and the impact on your knee will be less. Understand?" Pete asked, massaging the sore knee for a few minutes with his warm hands. Kurt was surprised that Pete had such gentle hands – he had seen him being firm if not aggressive in the boxing ring. No, Pete was as gentle as a lamb and his touch felt so tender and warm. Kurt smiled, enjoying the massage._

_Blaine began to look at Pete a little harder – what was this old man doing, flirting with Kurt? He had to be eighty! Blaine had a sour look on his face, but tried to hide it. He was the one that had asked Pete to come, after all. _

"_All right, young man, your muscles are a bit looser now, here is what I want you to do: we need to strengthen the quad muscle that runs up the center of the front of your thigh, and the muscle that goes down the inner thigh. That is one of the weakest muscles in the human body, because people don't use it as much, so we're going to build that up to protect the injuries around the knee," Pete said in his voice that he usually reserved for his trainee boxers. _

_He had Kurt sit in a straight-backed chair and curl his ankle around the leg, showing him how to put pressure on the muscle to strengthen it. It hurt. A lot. But Kurt was determined to get his leg in shape quickly and was eager to keep working on it. Pete showed him exercises for his quad muscle and other muscles to make his leg as strong as it once was. By the time he was done, Kurt was sweating and shaky._

"_Okay, Blaine, now come here and I'll show you how to take care of his leg after the exercises. Kurt, drop your pants and we can get started," Pete directed. Kurt was taken aback with the order, but did as he was told and was soon sitting in just his boxer briefs. He saw Pete smirk and he grinned. Back to being serious, Pete had him lying face down on the bed, showing Blaine how to massage the leg to take some of the pain and stiffness away. They had been doing the exercises and massage twice a day since and Kurt thought he could feel a little difference already._

"How is it feeling?" Blaine asked, continuing to massage the leg after turning Kurt over and straddling him. Kurt moved his fingers over and began tickling Blaine's inner thigh, strolling his fingers up his leg as Blaine massaged the knee. He tried to ignore Kurt, but it was getting hard to do, so he shifted and got out of reach, massaging the calf of Kurt's leg. Kurt moved, too, and reached forward to try to tickle Blaine again, bored with the exercises.

"Kurt, you're not taking this seriously. We need to do this right. Now, pay attention and stop messing around," Blaine admonished him.

"Yes, mommy," Kurt snarked. He was tired and grumpy. Instead of settling back to the knee massage, he trailed his fingers up Blaine's thigh again, this time getting closer to his crotch. Blaine gave him a thunderous look, but Kurt kept at it.

"Kurt. KURT. Let's get this done, then we can mess around, okay?" Blaine asked, a bit irritated.

"Sorry."

Blaine got up, walking back over to the stove and got something. He walked back to the bed and asked Kurt to lie on his back. Kurt did, placing the sore leg on a pillow to keep it level. Blaine tested the heat from the blanket he was holding, judging it to be quite warm but not too hot, and placing it around Kurt's leg, from mid-thigh to mid-calf. The look of bliss on Kurt's face was reward enough for all the hard work he'd put in massaging the muscles.

"That was a good idea?" Blaine asked, getting into bed beside Kurt.

"Oh, baby, this is heaven. It feels wonderful, thank you so much. It's as if the heat is seeping into my bones, it feels so good. Really, if I could move at this minute, I'd be in your lap wagging my tail..." Kurt said and Blaine laughed.

They lay in bed, just talking for a while when Blaine remembered they needed to feed the little squirrel. He got the goat milk and egg mixture and the eyedropper and took the little guy out of his nest they had made him at the bottom of the cage. It was nightfall and the flying squirrel was beginning to stir anyway, they were nocturnal creatures and so he was waking up according to his internal clock.

Blaine tested the temperature of the milk and then wrapped the baby in the piece of flannel he was holding and held the dropper for it to eat. The tiny thing reached up its paws to hold on and opened it's mouth, its tongue working hard to get every drop. Kurt was not looking at the squirrel, he was observing his boyfriend's face. He had never seen him with a more tender look, as if this little morsel of life was his own baby and it meant the world that he could get it to eat. The gentle smile on his face, a look of absolute contentment, just did something to Kurt. He found himself wanting to cry, but wasn't sure why. It made him feel a little dizzy, lightheaded and woozy for a moment, then a warmth filled him like nothing he had ever felt. What was this, he wondered, was he sick? It didn't feel like sickness...then he knew.

Kurt took another look at Blaine, who was concentrating on the tiny scrap of fur and eyes he held, talking to it as if it were a baby. A baby. Oh...that was it. Kurt blinked, resolving not to let a single tear out as his mind told him that this is how Blaine might look if they had their own baby. The funny feeling in Kurt's belly was like going down in a swing...inevitable and a tiny bit scary, but you loved the feeling anyway.

Kurt just sat still, afraid to move, afraid to break the spell of seeing into the future at a day when they would have a new baby placed in their arms. Kurt shook his head, this was ridiculous. They had never said anything like this to each other. They hadn't said much more than that they wanted to be together for always, but hadn't really made more plans than that. It was all vague and dreamlike, nothing defined or planned. Kurt felt something very unsettling about that.

"Do you want to hold him?" Blaine asked, holding the tiny squirrel out to him. Kurt took a minute to return to reality and nodded his head, not yet trusting his voice not to give him away by revealing his emotions.

"Here, honey, you hold him like this I think..." Blaine directed as he moved Kurt's hands to support the squirrel and make it comfortable, then showed him how to feed it. Kurt got a thrill when the baby began to eat, licking at the eyedropper, then sucking it to quickly drain it of its contents and look for more. Kurt quickly got engrossed in feeding it, cooing at the scrap of fluff.

Blaine sat back, sure now that Kurt could do it on his own. He just watched the happiness in Kurt's eyes as he was successful in getting the little guy to eat. Kurt was a bit more reserved than Blaine, so this was a notable exception. Blaine grinned, thinking of how cute Kurt looked, holding the squirrel.

"Hey, Blaine. I don't think I want to call him Rocky..or Rocket J. I bet everyone who has ever adopted a flying squirrel has named it that. How about we just call him Jay?" Kurt said, his eyes still on the squirrel.

"I like it. Alright, JJ, let's get you back in your little nest, okay?" Blaine said in baby talk.

"Blaine, please...if you don't speak proper English to the baby, how will he ever learn to talk properly?" Kurt waggled his eyebrows at Blaine – which wasn't quite as effective as when Blaine did it.

Blaine giggled just the same.

"Hey, Papa Bear, you looked kind of cute feeding our new baby. Should I pass out cigars?" Blaine laughed again, but something suddenly struck him and he closed his eyes. He opened them a moment later, pretending nothing happened, but Kurt had seen it. Blaine was thinking the same thing he had been.

Blaine came back to the bed, this time ready for sleep. He put out the lamp, slid in next to Kurt and helped to arrange the blankets and pillows to make Kurt comfortable with his leg. He took the heated blanket that had now gone cold and moved it off the bed before tucking Kurt in.

For once, neither of the boys said anything as they cuddled together, and they held each other tight.

"Want to talk about it?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, I do," Blaine answered. They both knew what it was, and Blaine started. "You thought the same thing I did, didn't you?"

"Probably. You were so cute, feeding Jay and cooing at him. It didn't take much imagination to think that one day..." his voice caught, and he found himself so overwhelmed with emotion that he couldn't form another word.

"Oh, Kurt, I thought the same thing. I know we haven't talked about...babies," Blaine whispered, gently kissing Kurt's neck, licking the salty skin and smiling as he heard Kurt hum in delight.

"Do you want to talk about babies?" Kurt asked, barely able to get the words past his choked -up throat.

"We can. I know we have talked about spending our lives together, so I guess talking about babies would fall into that category. Unless it makes you uncomfortable, my love. We have a long time to decide if we want a family," Blaine said softly, caressing Kurt's jaw down to his collarbone.

"I'm okay with talking about it. I think. It's just..." and his voice once more caught in his throat. He started to say something, but nothing would come out of his mouth.

"Kurt, are you okay?" Blaine asked, a note of worry in his voice. "What's wrong? We don't need to talk about this if it upsets you, I'm so sorry. Just pretend I never brought it up."

Kurt turned over and Blaine took him in his arms, rocking him like a baby and kissing his temple. Kurt burst into tears and held close to Blaine's chest until he could get himself under control.

"Now, feel better?" Blaine asked and Kurt nodded his head. "What's this all about?"

"I just never thought I'd ever have a family. I have always wanted to have a baby of my own, a real family to love. Like my father loved me. It has been my dream, even more than a big wedding, more than dancing and singing on a Broadway stage, more than anything. I have dreamed of having someone to spend the rest of my life with, someone I love and loves me back, and a baby with him," Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes and saw the love shining back at him.

"Kurt, I know we have talked about spending the rest of our lives together. I have wanted the same things you do, my love, and a baby is one of those things. I don't know why we haven't talked about this before, but I do want a family, too. With you," Blaine said, going back to caressing Kurt's back.

"I want it with you, too, Blaine. I love you," Kurt said, nuzzling his nose into Blaine's neck and kissing him there. "Blaine?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Make love to me," Kurt whispered, his eyes big and dark.

"Okay," Blaine answered.


	22. Chap 22 - Perks of Being Alone Together

"_Blaine?"_

"_Yes, my love?" _

"_Make love to me," Kurt whispered, his eyes big and dark. _

"_Okay," Blaine answered._

Kurt took a ragged breath. This wasn't what he had planned for the night – he had in mind lying on a blanket under the stars and looking at Orion's Belt, maybe with a bowl of blackberries to feed his lover one by one. He lay with closed eyes, working up his courage. He didn't have any reservations about giving everything to Blaine, but this step seemed so final, he was just a little afraid.

While Blaine loved to look at Kurt's body, slide his eyes over the curves and planes and appreciate that it was a work of art with sleek lines and balanced space, tonight he was suddenly glad it was dark in the cabin. Even the moon was cooperating, being only a sliver and not shining in the window above the bed. Blaine was suddenly inexplicably shy, startling back when Kurt reached out to run his fingertips along Blaine's ribs.

Blaine could feel the tension in Kurt's body, pressed so close to his own and wanted to make this right. He might ask again if Kurt was ready, but he knew he was. Blaine just needed to calm him for a bit first.

He started by touching the inside of Kurt's wrist, trailing his fingers over the pulse that beat so faithfully. His fingers traced up a blue vein towards his heart. Bringing Kurt's hand to his mouth, he kissed the pulse point and Kurt shivered, whimpering. All thoughts of romantic gestures left Kurt's mind, crowded out by the immediate closeness of Blaine. His love. And nothing else mattered.

Every place Blaine's fingers touched him was tingling, then the warmth of Blaine's mouth as he mapped the planes of Kurt's body made him moan and beg for more. Blaine gave him more, kissing him on his face, where the dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth when he smiled, on the soft cheeks that blushed when Blaine complemented him, and his plump lips which never failed to make Blaine feel like he had to kiss Kurt that very minute.

"Blaine, you are the love of my life, you know...you're my whole life..." Kurt said, kissing back whenever he could, but Blaine was not just making love in the sense that they were about to have the most intimate thing they could experience, Blaine was making love to Kurt's whole body. He kissed his lips one last time and moved down to his neck, tickling him a bit as he sucked the blood to the surface, then licking the sting away with his warm tongue. He licked down into the crevice where Kurt's neck and shoulder met, tasting the salty skin and humming in satisfaction as Kurt tried to get closer by bucking his hips gently into Blaine's.

"Be patient, my love. We have all night," Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear and breathed into the tender space just at the back of his jaw, ghosting his lips over it until Kurt was covered in gooseflesh.

"Blaine..." Kurt breathed.

Blaine put a finger out to touch Kurt's lips, silently asking him to be quiet.

Going back, he dragged his tongue across Kurt's left clavicle, leaving open-mouth kisses all along the bone before nibbling the tender skin there and across to the other one, this time sucking a love bite into the pale flesh before stroking down Kurt's chest. He used the flat of his hands, his palms, to do this, pressing firmly to make the muscles relax. His intention was not to tickle Kurt, so he was very firm in stroking his hands down Kurt's sides, over his ribs and landing on his hips to rest while his mouth caught up. Kissing along the clavicle again, it was a bare few inches before he was lightly drawing his lips over the nipple on Kurt's right side, mirroring the action with his finger on the left side. Kurt reacted instantly with whimpers and soft sighs because the feeling started as a tingle and moved through his body like electricity to force more blood to enter his waiting cock.

"Blaine...baby..." Kurt moaned, wanting the teasing to stop so he could feel Blaine enter him, but at the same time he wanted this to last forever. Blaine was worshiping every inch of Kurt's body so that he felt so cared for, so loved it was impossible to contain the feelings.

Blaine took a deep breath, knowing it would only get harder from this point – harder to rein himself in long enough to show Kurt how much he loved him before he could enter him.

"Kurt, I need you to roll over, my love. Here, I'll help with your leg," Blaine directed, gently taking the leg in his hands so it wouldn't twist as Kurt rolled to lie on his tummy. He lay still, trying to turn his head to see Blaine but wasn't very successful.

"Oh, no, Kurt, just lie down and relax, I'm just going to rub your back for a few minutes, you are getting so tense."

Pulling the blanket up over Kurt's hips to keep him warm, Blaine got the bottle of massage oil out and poured a bit into his hands to warm up. He sat next to Kurt, his leg flush alongside of Kurt's ribs.

"Okay, love, this is just oil to help with the massage, okay?" Blaine said, waiting for Kurt to acknowledge him before spreading the warm oil across his back. Blaine was not a large person, but he did have large hands and they were strong from all the work he had done since he was a little boy. He smoothed the oil on Kurt's back, then began the massage, rubbing hard to relax the muscles, then not as hard, stroking from Kurt's neck to his waist.

Blaine shifted so he was lying next to Kurt, kissing the nape of his neck. This was one of his favorite places: the skin was soft, and Kurt shivered when Blaine kissed him there – not like it was ticklish, but more because it was erotic. Blaine licked him, rubbing his lips over the skin and humming in concentration as he continued to stroke Kurt's back with one hand. Kurt smelled so good here, like vanilla and jasmine maybe. Blaine closed his eyes for a second, imagining what was to come as he made love to the boy he wanted with all his heart.

He blinked back the tears gathering in his eyes, not over anything sad, but the pent-up emotions that continued to build.

Shifting back to a sitting position, Blaine rubbed down Kurt's back again, this time going further down so he was caressing the perfectly shaped cheeks on Kurt's ass. He moved his hands down Kurt's legs to his knees, running his hands up slowly, pressing on the muscles and then massaging until he reached the cheeks again, leaning to place a kiss on the left one as Kurt let out a whimper of anticipation.

"Kurt, roll onto your side now, okay?" Blaine asked and when Kurt complied, he lay down in front of him, almost nose to nose. Kurt kissed his nose, making him giggle.

"I know we haven't actually talked about this, and now might be a bit awkward...but I need to know...ah..." Blaine blushed. Kurt traced his cheek with one finger, cupping Blaine's jaw in his hand and bringing his lips closer. He kissed him deeply, pulling them together as he moved his whole body so it was flush against Blaine's. He took a breath through his nose, not wanting to let go of Blaine and continued to kiss him, moving his lips and then bringing his tongue in invitation across the split between Blaine's upper and lower lips. Blaine opened his mouth and accepted Kurt's tongue, soft in his mouth as he explored. Kurt's cock was so hard, and it was pushing against Blaine's leg making his own throb in sympathy.

Kurt moved to Blaine's neck, his tongue licking the same path Blaine's had taken, up to his jaw as he nibbled his soft skin and breathed in Blaine's scent.

"I want _you_ to make love to _me, _Blaine. I want to feel you enter me, to fill me with your love, oh, Blaine...don't make me wait any longer, please...I want us to be closer than we've ever been before, as close as we can be forevermore. Do it now, Blaine...now."

"Okay, my love..." Blaine leaned over to get the bottle of lube that they had picked out together one day when they were in Dayton, sneaking into the little shop with their fake IDs and giggling at all the silly, sexy things they found there. They had purchased a few things...candy cock rings that looked like the candy necklaces they had both had as children, flavored nipple cream, brightly colored condoms and flavored lube in single use packages. They stayed away from scary things like cock cages, blow-up sheep, and assless chaps – those things didn't seem to have a place in their dreams.

"Kurt...is your knee okay?" Blaine asked as he rubbed Kurt's back some more.

"Yes, it's fine, why?" Kurt asked.

"I was thinking of a way to do this without hurting your knee...I don't think it will work with you on your hands and knees, you won't be able to hold your weight with the knee," Blaine said in a low voice. He didn't want to kill the mood, but he also didn't want to harm Kurt's healing knee.

"I think if we do it missionary?" Kurt suggested.

"I think that would be best, can you lie down on your back then?" Blaine asked, but he was already pushing Kurt's chest gently. Lying back, Kurt relaxed and pulled Blaine on top of him for a moment, kissing him with a passion that took Blaine by surprise. Blaine kissed back, all tongues and teeth as they let just a little of the passion they were feeling out.

"Blaine...I want you to straddle my chest, please..." Kurt directed. He had been satisfied with Blaine's actions so far, but it had built up a lot of tension and Kurt needed a way to let some of that out...he took Blaine into his mouth, slowly running his tongue under the foreskin as he found the ridge around the crown and teased it with his tongue. Blaine jumped a little, squeaking as he felt the blood rushing into his cock and feeling so hot he was blushing. He let Kurt do this for a short time, but was worried he wouldn't be able to hold in his orgasm if Kurt continued, so he gently pulled away.

"What is that you say about sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander? Blaine said, moving down and swallowing Kurt in one try, choking as Kurt's cock slipped down his throat. He hummed just to make Kurt crazy before pulling back very slowly, twirling his tongue around the hard member in his mouth before pulling his mouth off. Kurt whined at the sudden cool air as it made him shiver.

Blaine pushed Kurt down once more, kissing down his chest and caressing his inner thighs until Kurt relaxed once again.

"I love you, baby," Kurt whispered as Blaine came back to kiss his mouth once more, holding his head and kissing his neck. In just that short space of time, the mood was back on them as if they had never taken a pause. Blaine was once more making love to Kurt's whole body.

He moved Kurt's sore leg so it was propped on pillows and then smiled at his lover as he set a pillow under his hips to make access easier. Kurt felt kind of funny like that, but forgot it when Blaine repositioned himself on his knees between Kurt's legs. He stopped there, taking a breath to steady himself and closed his eyes to gather his courage. He looked small and maybe a little terrified for a moment as Kurt looked up at him.

"Blaine, this is going to be okay, you know. It's what we both want, what we've been saving for each other...and I can't imagine loving you more than I do at this very moment. Remember what you said to me? Courage." Kurt whispered, wanting Blaine so badly he ached with it.

Blaine felt better with just that word, and he placed his hand on Kurt's leg, leaning forward to whisper, "I love you, with all my heart, baby."

He took the first tube of lubrication and squeezed a large dollop onto his fingers, then put it in his mouth. It burst with raspberry flavor and he resisted the urge to swallow it. Kurt had his eyes closed, not that it mattered too much in the dark, but Blaine didn't want to startle him, so he caressed Kurt's inner thighs, stroking lightly as he worked his way up to touching his balls. Kurt's hips moved a little and Blaine placed a calming hand to settle him.

He placed his hands on Kurt's cheeks and gently pulled him open, making it easier to lick the dusky pink target of his desire. He used the lube, pushing it from his tongue to Kurt's skin as he went, starting with long, wet strokes over Kurt's hole and up to his balls. Kurt had felt this before and it was the thing he had given so much thought to over the past months. It was intimate and exciting and felt so good. He whimpered, wanting more but unwilling to distract Blaine from this perfect feeling. It was impossible to keep silent as the pressure from Blaine's tongue got harder and he was pushing in at just the right place, breeching the tight entrance to push his way into Kurt. Kurt's hands were tangled in the sheets, tense and shaking as he tried to hold still – waves of pleasure coursing through his body.

"Ahhh...Blaine, Blaine..." he called, moving his head back and forth on the pillow.

Blaine continued for a while, reveling in the sounds Kurt was making and enjoying it all. He knew Kurt needed more now and gently pushed his first finger inside, the raspberry lube helping. He was able to keep his mouth there as he pushed his finger in and out, starting to massage and coaxing the tight sphincter into loosening. It took a little time before another finger was called for, Kurt moaning by now and Blaine answering in the same way.

Blaine took Kurt's hand and placed it near his own fingers and Kurt got the message, continuing to stretch himself as Blaine found the tube of silicone lube and spread it all over his cock, adding more and finally getting a dollop to finish stretching Kurt. He moved Kurt's fingers out of the way and placed three fingers inside, feeling the muscle finally relaxing.

"Are you ready, my love?" he whispered, not sure what he would do if Kurt said no.

"Yes, Blaine, can you do it now? I want you so bad..." Kurt said, almost in a daze.

"I can stop now, but I'm not sure if I can once I'm inside you...you'll have to control that, to tell me..." Blaine trembled, but now it might be more anticipation than anxiety.

Blaine tried so hard not to, but he was still trembling as he hovered over Kurt. Kurt saw this and pulled his face down so he could kiss him, whining in need as he pushed his tongue into Blaine's mouth, tasting the raspberry.

"Now, Blaine, I want you inside me now," Kurt babbled, not knowing or caring what was coming out of his mouth as long as it culminated in Blaine being inside of him. Blaine pushed in, as slowly as his body allowed and Kurt held his breath. His eyes got huge and tears began to flow as Blaine tried to pull back – horrified that he hurt Kurt.

Kurt's hand grabbed Blaine's bicep in a death grip, "Don't move a muscle, Blaine. Oh, god...don't push but by god don't pull back out!" Blaine froze. He was terrified he was hurting Kurt, but didn't know how to fix it. Kurt was adamant he didn't pull out, digging his nails into Blaine's arm as he begged him not to pull back. Blaine knew in that instant that he could stay here forever if Kurt needed him to. He took a deep breath, looking at Kurt's terrified eyes.

Kurt felt like a hot steel sword was stabbing through him. He had felt some pain the first time Blaine put his fingers inside him, and there had been some blood, though he never told Blaine. He knew Blaine was big, but he had never anticipated that it would feel like this, so he froze for a few moments that felt like hours.

"Blaine, baby, can you just push a tiny bit, okay?" Kurt stiffened, anticipating the pain. Blaine reached down and began to stroke Kurt's softening cock, pumping slowly to get his mind off of the pain. He kept sliding his hand in all the places he knew made Kurt feel good. Kurt began to relax, the good feeling in his cock alleviating the other pain he felt. Blaine leaned forward to place a kiss on Kurt's swollen lips and pushed in a tiny bit more. Kurt stiffened his muscles, but when there was no more pain, he relaxed. Blaine felt it and pushed a bit more, pulling back now and feeling the lubricant spreading and working to make Kurt slick so he could push in further.

"Blaine...oh, that's better, keep doing that..." Kurt said, beginning to feel the heat and pulsing good feelings radiate into his body.

"Are you okay now, my love? Should I keep going?" Blaine asked, licking across Kurt's collarbone and nibbling on his neck.

"It's feeling good, Blaine...so good," Kurt was becoming more excited, the pain was gone now, replaced by a throbbing presence he could not describe other than to think it wasn't at all what he expected. When Blaine began to thrust in and pull out, although still slowly, the feeling was so overwhelming he had to close his eyes and stop for a second to catch his breath. He wanted it better for Kurt and moved to angle himself, finally touching the place he sought and was rewarded with Kurt going silent and opening his mouth. He was not a screamer; on the contrary when he came he was absolutely silent, his mouth open in ecstasy, followed by gasping as he tried to catch the breath he had been holding.

"My god, Kurt...you cannot imagine how this feels, so tight, so hot and slick and so you..." He lost what he was saying, lost in pure emotion as he slid in and out, the friction building as he tried to be as gentle as possible while his body begged and demanded that he pound into Kurt with wild abandon. Kurt just stared at him for an instant, trying to read his face in the dark, knowing what Blaine wanted, but afraid it might start hurting again.

He didn't have to think too hard because Blaine found the right angle and the friction increased as Kurt moaned loudly, reaching down to touch himself. Blaine read it in his face and was there first, gripping the hard cock and pumping to the rhythm he had found until Kurt stiffened, a cry starting at the back of his throat and culminating in a gasping sound as he came. Kurt's face was a picture of rapture that sent Blaine's mind into a swirling overload of his senses and the throbbing feeling of Kurt's muscles tightening made Blaine come with spurt after spurt of semen, deep into Kurt – and he could hear choirs of angels singing in his brain.

Blaine looked up at Kurt's face and was rewarded by a look of such pure love he was struck dumb for a moment. He carefully pulled out and dropped to the mattress exhausted and sated. He lay as if dead, his eyes closed and his limbs thrown across the mattress. Kurt was still breathing deeply when he took Blaine in his arms and pulled him close.

"Blaine? Oh, my love...my baby...I ..I...I love you, there just aren't any other words," Kurt said into Blaine's neck where he had buried his face, never wanting to be anywhere else. Blaine was gripping Kurt just as closely, not speaking because he was still in a state of amazement. Never in life did he expect it to feel like that.

They could hardly breathe, hands grasping for each other to get closer and never let go. It was both everything and nothing that they expected from this night and they hugged close together, rolling onto their sides, still clasped together.

Thirty minutes later they lay, still locked in the same embrace, breathing the same air but now calm and sleepy.

"Kurt, my love...that was..." but Blaine never finished, he just kissed Kurt as tenderly as he ever had, knowing there would never be a moment like this ever again.

"I love you, baby... " Kurt whispered back.

"We need to get up and clean up, you know," Blaine said.

"I know." Kurt answered.

_Twenty minutes later..._

"Okay, you get the water, I'll change the linen. Deal?" Blaine bargained and Kurt nodded his head. They smiled at each other and pulled apart. As tired as they were, neither boy was sleepy as they went back to clinging together, faces buried in shoulders and whispered love shared between them. Eventually, they came apart, still touching but lying on their backs on the bed. It was dark as the inside of a dog in the cabin except the glow from the fire in the stove as they got up to clean themselves.

"Let's build up the fire in the fireplace and roast marshmallows?" Kurt asked. He'd brought a bag when they came home.

"Grand idea! We can cuddle on the sofa and sing," Blaine added, pleased with his suggestion.

Kurt was pouring the hot water from the big kettle into a pitcher partially filled with cold water. He had done this so many times by now, it was easy to figure the temperature by just measuring the amount of hot water.

Blaine was removing the soiled linen and stopped dead.

"Kurt? Are you sore?" he asked.

"Ah...well, kind of, but that's to be expected. It isn't that bad," Kurt replied.

"Kurt, you're bleeding..." Blaine said in a very small and scared voice. "Oh, my god...I've hurt you!"

"No, no, I don't think so..." Kurt moved his leg and felt a drizzle of something warm and wet down his leg. He swiped his hand along his inner thigh and pulled it up, smeared with blood.

"Kurt!" Blaine said, rushing to Kurt's side and picking him up to set him down on the bed. He sat beside him and reached for the damp cloth Kurt was holding. "Lay across my lap, Kurt, I need to see..."

Kurt complied and Blaine, as gently as he could, parted Kurt's cheeks to find the source of the blood. There seemed to be a lot, so he used the cloth to clean it, Kurt wincing as he did it. There was a very small tear at the edge of Kurt's hole. It wasn't bad, but it was bleeding more than Blaine thought it should. Blaine tried and failed to take a breath. He closed his eyes, knowing he had to stay calm, it was not a terrible thing, just a small place that would heal quickly.

"Oh, my god, Kurt. I've torn you!" he was so upset, not sure for a moment what to do.

"Blaine, get a hold of yourself. I think it's okay. I read this can happen, especially the first time. It needs to be cleaned and a hot compress applied when the bleeding stops..." Kurt said, trying for calm because he'd read that sometimes it could get infected or require surgery. He rolled off of Blaine's lap and Blaine got up to get the things he needed. Blaine went to the cupboard to find the antibiotic ointment he kept for cuts.

Back on the bed, Kurt once again laid across Blaine's lap and this time Blaine cleaned the tear, seeing how small it was, but worried just the same. He put some ointment on his finger and spread it across the tear. Kurt sighed, that made it sting less.

"There, better?" Blaine asked and Kurt nodded. Blaine leaned forward and kissed the smooth cheek in front of him.

"I think you'll be okay, Kurt, but I feel awful. I thought I was being careful..." Blaine looked down, guilt written all over his face.

"No...Blaine it was not your fault. I'm fine, this happens all the time. We just have to be careful for a while. Okay?" Kurt soothed. "Now, lets get washed up and go toast some marshmallows!"

Blaine finished putting clean linen on the bed and went to sit next to Kurt. They were both wearing their thermals, the weather a bit cold that evening. Cuddled together on the settee, eating sticky marshmallows and kissing the remains of those marshmallows from each others' lips, there was such a calm and loving feeling that the boys wished it would last forever.

"Babe," Blaine said, picking his head up off of where it was cradled against Kurt's chest, "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking we could get something else to eat. There's some of that quiche I made for dinner yesterday. Does that sound good?" Kurt suggested. He was more sore than he thought he would be, and didn't really want to get up.

"I can get it. You stay right there and rest. Are you feeling better?" Blaine was worried about the tear. He wanted to look again to be sure it had stopped bleeding, but he was hesitant to ask Kurt to let him. Kurt would just call him a mother hen and scoff at this.

"Just a general kind of soreness, but really I'm fine. I could go for round two," he said in a cheeky voice.

"Right...so, dinner in bed then?" he asked, although it was a foregone conclusion. Blaine got up and set the egg pie on the back of the stove to warm up a bit. He got some lettuce and tomatoes, olives and cucumbers, a few other ingredients and made a salad, then brewed some tea.

They ate in companionable silence, gazing at each other. Every once in a while one would get a certain look on their face and they would both giggle. Kurt was still tired from everything they had done that day, plus the roller coaster of emotions they had both experienced made him feel wrung out.

"Hey, Blaine, do you want to bed down the goats or feed Jay?" Kurt asked, thinking they needed to get their chores done so they could go to sleep.

"I'll get the goats. Just wait here in bed, I can bring Jay Squirrel over and you won't even have to get up."

"Thanks, Blaine. I owe you...you spoil me too much. Not that I'm complaining, mind you," Kurt grinned a little. Blaine fixed the formula for the baby squirrel, bringing the things to the bed and setting them down. He returned with the little squirrel in his hands, that look of love and care etched on his face. Kurt's heart gave a large jump, but he recovered and held out his hands for the little guy.

Re-wrapping him in the piece of warm flannel, Kurt took the eyedropper and began to feed their little charge the egg and milk mixture. Blaine left to tend the goats.

"Did you see Daddy?" Kurt spoke to the squirrel, "Isn't he handsome? Yes, I know. And he has the biggest heart, always so generous and kind to us, isn't he?"

The little animal must have agreed because Kurt didn't hear any argument.

"We love Daddy Blaine, don't we? Yes, and one day I'll be holding our own little son or daughter with curly black hair that looks just like daddy's, and big hazel eyes for us to fall in love with, and it will be the very best day that ever happened, won't it?" Kurt crooned to baby Jay, smiling.

Blaine had come back in the cabin, unbeknownst to Kurt, and heard him chatting with the animal. It brought a smile to his lips, thinking of the day they could have their own baby to love. He sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out a hand to cup Kurt's cheek.

"I love you, Kurt, and I can hardly wait for that day. I want it for us, to have a family," he whispered as he kissed Kurt on the neck, hiding his face so Kurt couldn't see the want and desire in his eyes when he thought of having a baby with Kurt.

Little Jay was wriggling in Kurt's hands, objecting to being held so tightly and Kurt relaxed a bit. He filled the eyedropper again and fed the baby another dropperful.

"How many kids are you thinking about?" Blaine asked, trying to sound casual. It didn't matter to him very much, one was fine and ten was equally fine. Maybe two, one from Kurt and one from him? He would see what Kurt thought about that first.

"Oh, I don't know. I did just fine being an only child, and I was fine when my dad married Carole and we got Finn – well, eventually anyway. I can't say those first few months of adjustment were easy," Kurt laughed.

"We have a long time to think about it, though, don't we? I always wanted to get through school first. I also wanted to talk to you about schooling, if you're up for a chat tonight?" Kurt looked hopeful. He didn't know if it was appropriate, but he really wanted to open a discussion about their college and careers.

"Never a problem, Kurt. What's on your mind?" Blaine asked.

"Well, I got into the school on a music scholarship, but I might add design to that. I've always been fascinated with design and whether it is in fashion or industry, I want to talk with a school career counselor about it. If you're going to be traipsing through the back county, I don't feel as though my place is in New York with the pigeons on Broadway. Here, flying with the eagles sounds more our style, doesn't it?" Kurt posed his idea and Blaine gave it careful thought before answering.

"Kurt, we are good together, and I think a large part of why we are good together is that we respect each other as individuals. Yes, I want to study forestry, but only because I love being here. I cannot fathom what I would do anywhere else. I don't want to live in a big city, or even a small city. I like the forest, or someplace that is still a bit wild. I think studying forestry and conservation will give me a goal in life, something to work for. Kurt, I also want you to know that if that would take me away from you? I'd give it up. You are more important to me than anything," Blaine concluded, looking at Kurt to see his reaction.

"Oh, Blaine. I do understand. I used to want to sing on the stage and make thousands of people clap their hands and show me they appreciate me. Living with you, here in this wilderness, has shown me that while there is nothing wrong with that goal in life, it isn't the real me. I care about where we live, I love it here, and if living here with you is going to be what I want in life, then so be it. I can always sing to you...and our children...and doing something that will make a difference for our children and the place they live is a much better goal. I want to be here, with you, Blaine. So, after the first year of the music scholarship, I am going to look into what else they offer," Kurt planned. He was feeling good about his choices, and now even better as Blaine smiled at him and brought him closer for a kiss.

"We're gonna be unbeatable, my love," Blaine cooed, stroking down Kurt's cheek as he gave him a tender kiss.

"Yeah..." Kurt returned, handing the baby squirrel to Blaine to put to bed in its nest.

The boys had spent so many nights tangled together in the bed over the past months, but that night it was different. They had changed somehow with the advent of their relationship reaching that new level, or perhaps it was talking about their goals in life and making room for two dreams. They were still intertwined physically, making Kurt as comfortable as possible with his bad leg, but the emotional connection had changed the entire dynamic and although there wasn't a difference in the way they looked, the connection between Kurt and Blaine had been made deeper. They both had the best, deepest, most dreamless sleep either of them had enjoyed since they were children.

The next day, Kurt awoke alone in the cold bed, a note pinned to Blaine's pillow.

"Kurt, I had to go to Mr. Warner's house on an errand. I'll be back soon. Love you."

Mr. Warner's house? Kurt wasn't sure what that meant, but that was all the note said, so he got up and shuffled around, very gingerly because of his ...ah...injury. He would feel better when Blaine got back, and put off getting dressed when he saw fresh blood on the sheets when he sat to change his shirt.

A bark announced Blaine's return as he hurried in the cabin, Lenore on his heels. He looked up, realized who it was and swept the blanket over his naked legs and the offending spot on the sheet.

"Lenore, good morning," Kurt said, "and Blaine...is everything okay?"

"Kurt, can you get dressed? We need to pack you a bag," Blaine said, sitting close to him and taking him into his arms. He looked worried and it was beginning to scare Kurt. It was worse when Lenore sat down on the other side of him and took his hand.

"You are not to worry. Just get ready and Daddy's helicopter will be here in half an hour to pick up you up," Lenore said, looking straight into Kurt's eyes with sober concern. She touched his cheek with her fingers, giving him an encouraging smile. "I'm going over to the cook house to get some things, and we can meet there in about twenty minutes." She got up and slipped back out the door, Balto right behind her.

Kurt looked in confusion to Blaine, who was pale and holding Kurt's other hand in a death grip.

"Blaine, explain...?" Kurt asked.

"I will do my best, some of it is confusing still. Lenore came to get us this morning, Finn had called the satellite phone. You were so sound asleep, and I was worried about you walking so far right now, so I told her to let you sleep."

"Blaine, get to it...what is going on? Is it Finn?" Kurt demanded, getting scared.

"No. It's your dad. He had another heart attack. He is in the hospital, but doing okay. They said he is stable. I spoke to Finn and Carole both, and they assured me Burt is doing well, but they knew you would want to be there. Lenore's dad is sending you on the helicopter and Finn is meeting you at the airport. Are you going to be okay?" Blaine asked.

Kurt looked at him, stunned.

"My dad? You're sure he's stable?" Kurt asked, terrified.

"Yes, both Finn and Carole told me that. He has the best medical care they could find. They are both with Burt right now. Okay?"

But...but..you're going with me, aren't you?" Kurt was turning deathly pale with fright and Blaine took him in his arms.

"I can't, Kurt. We couldn't get a ticket for me right now. I will come as soon as it can be arranged, so you are going to have to be strong. You can do this, your father needs you, baby. You need to go to him," Blaine explained, each word killing him to say it to Kurt. He wanted to go with him, needed to be there, but time was of the utmost importance here and they had none to waste. With a heavy heart, Blaine pulled back the blankets to help Kurt get dressed and get the brace on his leg. He started to get up when he saw the blood stains on the bed and gasped.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt...are you okay? Oh..." Blaine was on the edge of panic, now not sure if Kurt could even walk all the way to the helipad by the cook house. "Here, I need to see how bad it is."

Kurt lay across Blaine's lap one more time. Blaine, as gentle as he could be, parted Kurt's cheeks to see the tear. It was crusted with blood, but did not look infected or as if it would break open again. Blaine applied the ointment and helped Kurt get ready, fitting the brace on his leg.

They were ready in record time, walking slowly to the cook house to meet Mr. Warner.

"There you are, the helicopter is about to land. Do you have everything? Toiletries, wallet...oh, and this is for you," he said, slipping an envelope in his carry-on. "Okay, you are landing in Eugene and need to be on the concourse by eleven fifteen to catch the plane to Seattle. They are holding your ticket at the counter, so you can board immediately. Okay? It is in your name, so no worries as long as you have your ID."

Kurt was in a daze, but something was weird. He stood still as he heard the helicopter approach, then turned to Mr. Warner, "Wait! Seattle? Why am I flying to Seattle? Is that the only connection you could get for me to get to Ohio?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your dad isn't in Ohio...Finn called from Seattle. He is picking you up at the airport in Seattle."

"What?" Kurt yelled, but was drowned out by the noise of the helicopter.

Suddenly Blaine was in his arms, kissing him and holding him close for an instant. He got right up to his ear and said, "I'll be there as soon as we can book a ticket. Keep your cell on, I'll call you. I love you Kurt, with all my heart."

Kurt was lifted into the helicopter, belted in and was flying over the trees before he could get a handle on everything. What the hell was his dad doing in Seattle?


	23. Chapter 23 - Seattle

The flight of the helicopter was shorter than Kurt thought it was last time, but he was kept busy trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He wanted Blaine with a dull ache that had settled in his head and body like never before. He not only craved his nearness, he was lost without Blaine's guiding hand. He wondered how he ever got along before Blaine came to be with him.

The whirlybird landed and he got off, pulling his carry-on as fast as his brace-covered leg would allow. The driver was waiting for him and dropped him off at the door. He boarded the plane and settled in his seat, fuming as he had to wait for the plane to take off. It was just a jump to Seattle and he was the first one off the plane, the steward helping him get his balance as he tried to use his stiff leg.

"Let me help you, sir," the cute blond man with big green eyes offered and put his arm around Kurt's shoulders and walked slowly next to him down the corridor that led to the concourse. Kurt was worried and perhaps that was why he didn't notice at first, but the man was holding him rather closely. He was smiling and leaned even closer, asking again if he could do anything at all to help.

"Oh...I think I'm okay, but my leg is not doing well. It got so stiff on the flight, I'm a little afraid it might give out. Don't you have to get back on the plane, though?" Kurt asked.

"No, I'm done. I was just hitching a ride back to Seattle, I wasn't working this flight. I have plenty of time to help. What do you need?" he asked.

"Ah, this is a little embarrassing, but I need to use the men's room and I'm still unsteady on my feet," Kurt said, blushing at having to confess his predicament, but he had to go. Now.

"No problem. We do things like this every day, it's my job. I'll escort you there and wait then take you to the gates to get a taxi or whatever. Okay?" The cute man offered, a smile brightening his face.

"Thank you, ah...?"

"Hank. My name is Hank."

"Thank you, Hank. I'm Kurt," he said, holding out his hand and shaking before they continued on their way.

Kurt allowed the man to help him to the men's room, leaning heavily on his arm. He went into the stall and was soon out, feeling much better.

Hank was waiting for him by the door and slid his arm around Kurt's waist when he became unsteady.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hank asked, having to use both arms to hold Kurt so he didn't fall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I seem to be a little dizzy, I didn't eat this morning before I left in the helicopter and with the bad leg..." Kurt babbled on, and Hank practically carried him to a nearby bank of chairs, setting him down in one and sitting next to him.

"A helicopter?" Hank asked.

"Oh, long story...it isn't _my_ helicopter. I was just getting a ride to the airport because my dad is in the hospital here and I'm meeting my brother here, but I'm so confused..." Kurt was pale and looked as if he were going to faint.

"Kurt, sit here. I'm not kidding, just sit still and I'll be right back, okay? Close your eyes and don't try to stand up," Hank ordered. Kurt slumped in the chair, his head in his hands while Hank walked quickly down the corridor and into a coffee shop. He was back in just a few minutes.

"Kurt? I brought you a sandwich and a cup of tea. I didn't know if you were a coffee drinker, so I got tea instead."

Kurt looked up at him gratefully and took the sandwich. It was a turkey club and tasted like ambrosia. Kurt ate every bite and washed it down with the tea. He felt so much better now, the lightheaded feeling gone.

"What do I owe you for the meal, Hank? You didn't need to do that you know," Kurt said.

"No, no, it was on me, and I was glad to do it."

"Oh, thank you so much, Hank. You are truly a lifesaver. I don't know what I'd have done if you didn't come to my rescue," Kurt smiled up at him.

Hank leaned forward and brushed his lips softly and slowly across Kurt's, his palm against Kurt's jaw.

Kurt jumped, almost falling off the chair, staring at Hank.

"Oh...oh, my god, Kurt. I'm so sorry. I apologize, I thought I was reading your signals right, but apparently not. Oh. Please forgive me..." Hank said, standing and blushing, trying to look anywhere but at Kurt. He would have run, but didn't want to leave this poor man alone in his condition.

Kurt took a deep breath.

"No, Hank, sit down. It's okay. I'm the one that's sorry. You weren't reading everything wrong. Yes, I am gay, and if I weren't in a relationship I would have been so attracted to you. You are a kind man and I apologize if you thought I was flirting with you," Kurt blushed, too.

"Ah, yeah I did think that. But no harm done?" he asked, wanting to make this right. Kurt seemed like a nice guy.

"No harm done. I was at the Warner Lumber camp and got a call my dad is at a hospital here in Seattle. My boyfriend will be following me as soon as they can arrange a flight for him. Mr. Warner allowed me to get a ride on his helicopter to the airport in Eugene and I'm supposed to meet my brother at the pickup lane here," Kurt relayed.

"Ah, I'm getting the picture. You had no time to eat, and I'm guessing you are not used to walking much on that leg? Plus the anxiety of leaving your boyfriend behind and worrying about your dad? No wonder you're shaky on your pins. Well, let me call for a cart and they can give you a ride to the pickup lanes to find your brother. Do you have any luggage?"

"No, just the carry-on," Kurt said.

"I'll go with you to find your brother, okay? I live here in Seattle, so I can help you find your way if you need any assistance at all," Hank offered, then got on his cell. A few minutes later an airport employee was there with a cart.

"Here, let me give you my number, Kurt, and if you need anything at all while you're in Seattle, just give me a ring. I'm off for the next six days," Hank smiled. Kurt handed the handsome man his cell phone and Hank typed in his number, then called himself so he would have Kurt's number, too. "I'm going to call you tomorrow if that's okay. I kind of feel like I have a vested interest in you now," Hank laughed and Kurt grinned back at him.

"That sounds fine. I really appreciate your helping me, Hank. It's so rare to find such a kind person these days. I'm glad we met," Kurt said sincerely.

Once outside, Kurt spotted Finn right away, pacing along the sidewalk and looking for Kurt. He came quickly, pulling his brother into his arms and holding him for a few minutes before letting him go.

"How's Dad?" Kurt asked.

"He's 'in stable condition' they're saying, he's not in danger, but will have to stay in the hospital for a few days to make sure everything is okay. I have a car waiting, can you walk?" Finn asked, noticing Kurt wasn't getting off the cart.

"It's just sore and I was dizzy earlier. Hank, this is my brother, Finn. Finn, this is Hank. He helped me off the plane and bought me a sandwich and tea, thus saving my life I think," Kurt smiled at Hank, who held out his hand to shake with Finn.

Finn turned to Hank. "If I can trouble you to stay here with Kurt for a few minutes, I'll go get the rental car and bring it here so he won't have to walk. Okay?"

"Of course," Hank agreed. As they waited for Finn, Kurt spoke, "Thanks again, Hank. I hope to meet up with you again."

"Call me when your boyfriend gets in, perhaps we can all have dinner together. I'm a native, so I know all the best places to eat and dance. It was good to meet you, Kurt," Hank said, leaning in to give Kurt a chaste hug.

Finn arrived and Hank helped Kurt into the car, shaking Finn's hand once again.

"The best of luck with your dad, Kurt. I pray everything goes well for him."

"Goodbye, Hank. Thanks again for everything. I'll keep in touch and I'll take you up on your offer when Blaine gets here," and Kurt waved as Finn pulled away.

Finn filled Kurt in as they drove to the hospital.

"This was all meant to be a surprise. I was at the house in Philomath moving in some furniture. The owner didn't want it to be vacant, so he said I could start moving in now, but the rent starts in September like we agreed. I was just getting the sofa moved with Puck's help – Puck is staying the summer with me – and I get this phone call from my mom. She is in this hospital in Seattle where they had just taken Burt.

"I wondered the same thing you are," Finn continued, "What the hell were they doing in Seattle? Well, it seems that between my mom and your dad, they thought they would miss us too much, hated being so far away – so they had been looking into buying a new garage in a town in Washington, not too far from us in Oregon. They had looked at three when your dad got to feeling bad. At first he thought it was indigestion, but lucky for him Mom's a nurse, so she got him to the local clinic and they made sure he was stable and put him in an ambulance and sent him to Harborview in Seattle because it has better doctors and medical equipment for cardiac patients.

"He won't be happy we sent for you, let me warn you. He's already pissed as hell I know about it. You're going in there alone, little bro...I don't need the wrath of Burt coming down on my head!"

Kurt just sat there and took it all in. He was still scared about his dad's health, but if he was acting like a grouchy grizzly bear, Kurt knew he couldn't be too sick. He felt the relief wash over him like a cold shower.

"Thanks, Finn, for being there, for coming to get me. I'm guessing it was your idea to call me, not Dad's or Carole's?"

"Yeah. I just thought about what I would feel like if it was my mom in the same predicament, I'd want you to call me no matter what," Finn said, turning off the highway.

"You know I would, Finn."

Walking into the hospital room was one of the hardest things Kurt had ever done. He had flashbacks to the last time, his dad in a coma and Miss Pillsbury and Mr. Schue holding his hands as he stood by the bed to see his father, unmoving and unresponsive. He shook himself and pushed the door open.

This time was as different as night is to day. Burt was sitting, propped up in the hospital bed looking angry. He had just crumpled a paper cup and was in the act of throwing it towards the trashcan. He stopped in mid-throw, his eyes locking on Kurt.

"Dad?" Kurt said, and the next thing he knew, he was in his father's arms holding on for dear life.

"Kiddo, what are you doing here?" Burt asked, not letting Kurt go. Kurt wriggled so he could sit on the edge of the bed and rest his sore leg, but he never let go of his father.

"Finn called Mr. Warner and they flew me here this morning. What happened?" Kurt said in such relief that Burt looked at him.

"How much did Finn tell you?" Burt asked instead of answering.

"That you and Carole were here looking for a garage to buy and you collapsed, they took you to a hospital and they sent you here."

"Well, I didn't collapse. That is just an exaggeration. I got some chest pain, so we found an urgent care center and I went in, just an hour or so after it started. They found some arrhythmia and had me transferred here. I have a new medication, but they want me to stay here a few days to make sure it's working. End of story. They should not have bothered you, Kurt," Burt said, but still hadn't let go of his son and Kurt was very glad they had called him. He knew his dad missed him, because he wasn't usually this clingy.

Kurt turned and put his other arm around his dad, snuggling closer and melting into his side. Burt sighed in contentment. He would not say it out loud, but he was happy beyond measure that Kurt was here, that he had thrown caution to the wind, dropped everything and run to his dad's side. He knew how selfish it was to have these thoughts, but he couldn't help it. It was why he was trying to move here to the west coast.

After spending the rest of the morning with his dad, Kurt was tired and hungry and wanted to lie down. Finn caught up with him in the hospital waiting room.

"I was going to go over to the hotel room if you're as tired as you look, Bro. Want a ride?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, let's go. I tried to call Blaine earlier and told Lenore to let him know how Dad is. He's still trying to get a flight, but I told him to hold off. We'll see how Dad is tomorrow and I want to talk to the doctors first," Kurt said.

"Okay , Dude. Here's our street. I'm going to let you off here in front so you won't have to walk from the parking garage. It's room 307. I'll see you up there," Finn said, pulling to the curb.

Kurt got out, limping more than ever, and made his way to the lobby. He leaned on the wall as he waited for the elevator, playing with the room card Finn had handed to him. The door to the elevator opened and he had been leaning too close, losing his balance as he tried in vain to get his feet square under him and fell into two strong arms that grabbed him, keeping him from falling.

"Kurt?"

"Ahh..Puck? Oh, Noah, I'm glad to see you! Finn didn't say you were here in Seattle with him!" Kurt said, grasping Puck even tighter as he tried to maintain his balance.

"Hey, Kurt, here, let me help you. Are you going up to the room?" he asked and Kurt nodded.

"I was just going to get something to eat. Want to join me?" Puck asked.

"Sure. Finn is parking the rental car, but he should be in here in a ….oh, there he is. Finn! I ran into Noah. Literally. How about a bite to eat before we go up to the room?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, let me take your carry-on up to the room and wash my face. I've been at the hospital for more than a day and I'm kind of grimy. I'll meet the two of you in the restaurant, okay?" Finn said.

"Sure, sounds like a plan," Puck agreed, taking Kurt's arm to support him.

"So, how's Burt?" Puck asked when they'd been seated.

"He's going to be okay. His medication had stopped working efficiently, so his heart was doing some unhealthy bumping around, but he's been fine on the new medication. The doctors want to keep him for observation another two days, then release him. I'm going to stay, but I think it will be okay for Blaine to stay home. No sense in spending all that money if he can't really do anything here and Dad is going to be fine," Kurt explained.

Puck was looking at his friend closely.

"But you miss him and wish he was here with you, right?" Puck was a lot more observant than people gave him credit for.

Kurt blushed and ducked his head.

"Yeah, we haven't spent too many nights apart since the day I met him. It seems so odd to turn and not have him standing there beside me, or to reach out my hand and get empty air instead of a warm hand in mine. It's safe to say I miss him," Kurt sniffed. He shook his head, almost unperceptively, and looked back into Puck's eyes.

"I understand, Kurt. Don't worry, you'll be back in his arms before you know it," Puck winked at his friend as Finn walked over and sat down.

"Did you guys order yet?"

"Nope. Well, just drinks. I got you a Pepsi, okay?" Kurt said, smiling at his brother. He felt really lucky to have Finn.

They ate their steaks with a quiet conversation, all of them happy to be catching up because they hadn't seen each other in over a month.

"What made you come out here with Finn?" Kurt asked.

"I needed something to do this summer, my funds were limited, and Finn asked if I wanted to live here in exchange for helping him move. I jumped at the chance to get away and your brother here needed somebody to keep him company."

"I think Kurt could bunk in my room with me tonight and you can move to the room with your mom?" Puck suggested.

"That's fine with me. Shall we go?" Finn asked and Puck led the way.

Settled in the chair in their hotel room, Kurt was watching a movie with Puck, chatting about what their plans were for the fall.

"Finn and I were going to talk to you and Blaine this weekend. I just came out here on a lark to help Finn move, but I like that little town and I could find a job there. I was thinking about applying to the community college to start a few classes, see what I can do and maybe eventually go to OSU," Puck told Kurt. "What do you think?"

"I can't speak for Blaine, but I don't see any obstacles in that. I think it would be nice to have one more alumni from McKinley and the house is big enough, you could have your own room. Can you afford the rent?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, I have quite a bit saved up and Grandma Sofia said she could help me," Puck said, a smile crossing his lips at the thought of his feisty grandmother.

"Well, bring her with you and you can live there for free. She can cook for us. I love your grandmother, you know," Kurt smiled.

"Yeah, Kurt, I know," Puck said.

"I think I'm going to go take a hot shower, I'm so tired from this whirlwind of a day, if that's okay with you?" Kurt said, getting up to go to the bathroom. He struggled to get up on his leg and Puck gave him a hand until he was balanced on his feet. "Thanks, Noah."

Puck sat, doodling with a pen on a pad of paper, drawing dinosaurs while he watched the raptors on the television run rampant through Jurassic Park. He laughed, thinking of how Quinn had just about jumped out of her skin when he saw this movie with her at the theater. He was just thinking about getting into his pajamas when he heard a scream and then a loud thunk!

"Kurt? Hey, Kurt, are you okay?" he called, but got no answer. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Kurt!"

When he got no answer, he opened the door and saw Kurt crumpled in the shower, the water on and bright red blood swirling all around him in the water before exiting down the drain.

"Kurt, Kurt! What happened, Dude? Did you hit your head?" Puck asked, but Kurt was out cold.

Puck turned the shower off and gathered his friend in his arms, picking him up and taking him to the bed, setting him down in spite of how wet and bloody he was. He took a towel to try and blot off the water and find where all the blood was coming from.

He couldn't see any injury, but after drying him from shoulder to knees he saw the blood seeping out of the split in his ass, pooling on the sheet.

"Oh, my god...Kurt? Buddy, wake up, what happened to you?" Noah asked. He folded another towel and placed it under Kurt's butt and covered him with the blanket from the bed to keep him warm.

He dialed Finn's number, but his cellphone was off. He started to run to get him next door when he realized that Finn had said he was going back to the hospital to sit with his mother. In desperation, he called his grandmother.

"Hello, Noah?" Sofia answered.

"Gramma, I need some help," he said, sitting close to Kurt and patting his shoulder.

"Are you in trouble, dear, what's happened?"

"Not me. I'm here in the hotel room with Kurt. He came to see his dad. We were just sitting watching television and he went to take a shower. I heard him fall and he is unconscious, he hit his head." Puck said.

"Oh, poor boy, well, is he breathing steadily?" Sofia asked in a calm voice.

"Yes, but that isn't the biggest problem. I got him on the bed, but he's bleeding. A lot." Puck sounded close to panic.

"His head?" she asked.

"No. It's coming...ah...from his butt?" Puck did not know how to tell her this, but he needed to know what to do.

"Noah, you're going to have to look closer. Just lay him on his side and gently pull his cheeks apart. Tell me exactly where the blood is coming from, and what color it is."

Puck sat still for a moment, gathering his courage. He had to do this, Kurt needed him. He put the phone on speaker and rolled Kurt to his side, parting his cheeks to see. He had never seen another boy's asshole, had never really seen a girl's, but he put that aside in his mind and looked closer.

"There looks like an open wound next to his...ah...his hole." Puck said.

"Then he's not bleeding from inside? Take a washcloth and wipe the blood away to make sure it's only coming from the cut." Sofia said, pretty certain what was going on now.

Puck did as directed just as Kurt started to blink his eyes open in confusion.

"No, not from inside and the blood is bright red, like fresh not dark," Puck told his gramma.

"Okay. He is still with Blaine, right?' Sofia asked.

"Yeah."

"I think he may have gotten that from having relations. If it is still bleeding, you're going to have to take him to a doctor, Noah. He might not want to go, but you have to do it. They need to assess if he needs some treatment, honey. This is not something to let go because of embarrassment. Be strong for him, Noah. Call me and tell me know he's doing. I love you," she said.

"I will and I love you too, Grandma Sofie."

"Miss Sofie? Your Gramma is here? Noah, why is it so cold and what are you...?" Kurt looked around him, taking in the red stained towel and his own state of nakedness. "Oh, my stars, Noah...what is going on?" Kurt said in a groggy voice.

"Kurt, dude, you passed out in the shower and when I went in to help there was blood everywhere. I called Gramma to get her advice, and she says I need to take you to a doctor."

Kurt was sitting up, cringing in pain.

"Oh. Okay," he agreed, still lightheaded and confused.

"Ah, Kurt? I know this is none of my business, but they're going to ask at the hospital: is...did...did Blaine do this to you?" Puck asked, blushing, but he was beginning to worry that something was going on. Blaine didn't come with him, then Kurt told Blaine to stay there since Burt was okay. It looked suspicious.

"It's not what you're thinking!" Kurt almost shouted. "Last night was my first time, okay. Blaine was as gentle and wonderful as he could be, but he's...well...he's not exactly small in that department and well...it happens. He didn't hurt me, Noah, it just happened." Kurt was crossing his arms on the defensive.

"Okay, dude, I believe you. Right now, we're going to have to get you to a doctor. Here, let me see how badly it's bleeding." It was the last possible thing Puck wanted to do, but he had to find out so he could make a decision whether to try and get him there in a cab or call an ambulance.

"Oh, my stars. Alright, but I think I'm going to die of embarrassment." Kurt laid back down on his side and Puck checked him again.

"It isn't bleeding as much as it was. Let's see, if I get you into some sweats, I think I can get you to an urgent care facility in a cab. I'll just pad your briefs with a washcloth in case it starts bleeding again."

"Please, just let me die now," Kurt whined, embarrassed beyond measure.

"Oh, Kurt, it's okay. We've known each other since kindergarten. You're the one that took me to the free clinic to get checked for STDs when I was fifteen. I think I owe you this," Puck said.

"Oh...well, yeah. Oh, I know what to do," Kurt said, reaching for his phone. He checked the clock on the wall, it was only three thirty in the afternoon. He looked up a number and dialed.

"Hello, Hank? This is Kurt Hummel, from the airport this morning?"

"Yeah, good to hear your voice, too. Yes, my dad is doing fine, but I called for a different reason. This is embarrassing, but I don't know anyone in Seattle and I need some help," Kurt said into the phone, blushing red the whole time.

He finished the call and turned to Puck.

"Not a single word about this to my dad or Carole or Finn, right?" Kurt said, locking his eyes with Puck's. "They would never understand. Blaine was not abusive in any way, he was gentle and tender and it just happened, but I'd never convince my dad of that. I refuse to have to explain to any one of them how well endowed my boyfriend is, okay? I can't believe I just said it to you as a matter of fact. Hank is coming to get me and take me to his doctor, so I feel better about that. At least it's someone who understands the...ah...situation." Kurt said. Still dizzy from loss of blood and the pain in his leg.

"Kurt, I won't say a word. I do understand, but I don't want you to go alone, you barely know this guy. He might seem nice, but I'm going with you," Puck said in a voice that stopped any argument.

"Thanks, Noah. I'll feel better with you there. Let's see if we can get some pants on me. Hank said he'd be here in just a few minutes."

"Mr. Hummel? I'm Dr. Alice Parsons. Can I call you Kurt?" the young doctor asked.

"Yes, of course", Kurt answered, as he looked around her exam room. He was sitting on the table, wearing nothing but an exam gown, his leg brace sitting on a chair with his clothing. Kurt fidgeted on the table and then blushed, worried he was bleeding on the table.

"Okay, just lie down on your side, Nurse Simon will help you," The doctor said, pulling on gloves as her assistant helped to keep Kurt's leg steady as he laid down.

"I want you to know that my boyfriend didn't do this deliberately, it just happened." Kurt explained. "He was being gentle but he's ...he's kind of big and it was our first time..." Kurt needed her to know it was not Blaine's fault.

"I understand." the doctor said, gently examining the tear. Kurt jumped as it hurt when she prodded a little."

"Okay, Kurt, I'm going to insert my finger inside of you. It might hurt a little, but I will be quick and as gentle as I can be, but I need to see if there is any internal damage," she said, "Try to relax a bit more. Tensing these muscles will make it more difficult." she said, softly rubbing his back to coax him to relax a little more. Kurt closed his eyes and tried, but it hurt.

"Okay, I'm done with that part. Let me clean you up and we can talk," she said as she wiped the whole area and exerted pressure on the tear to stop the bleeding that had started again.

She finished, placing some medication on the wound to keep it from bleeding more.

"All right, Kurt. You have an anal tear. It isn't bad, and there doesn't appear to be any internal tearing. It will heal on it's own with the proper care. I'm going to give you a stool softener, some antibiotics, some medicated wipes to use every time you void your bowels, and some ointment that needs to be applied four times a day," she said, smiling at him. "Do you have any questions?"

"Ah...yes. Ah, this was my first time, I think I told you. His, too. Did we do something wrong? I mean, we were both inexperienced and had only read the pamphlets my dad got me at the free clinic, so..."

"No, Kurt. You didn't. You do need to make sure you have enough lubrication and that your sphincter muscles are stretched enough before he enters you. I think what happened is that you were tense because it was a new thing, maybe you weren't as comfortable as you thought you were," she said.

"Oh, no...Blaine is the love of my life. We have been planning this for months and months. We were so sure of each other before we made this decision – and it was a mutual decision,"

Kurt emphasized once again.

"I'm glad of that. If you had been raped, Kurt, the damage would have been much worse, possibly requiring surgery. This is something that, while it needs care, will heal quickly. It happens more frequently than you can imagine. You need to refrain from having anal intercourse for at least two months while it heals. Tearing open a healing wound will make it harder to heal. Depending on your situation, you could be 'on top' if you still want to have intercourse, just be careful and make sure he is prepped.

"Hank told me you are just visiting here in Seattle, but if you ever need me, I'm here for you, young man. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need advice. I would like to think that a sweet young man such as yourself has a place to feel comfortable calling to get advice. Your Blaine is a lucky man to have you, if you don't mind me saying."

"Thank you."

"Since you are here and not near your regular doctor, would you mind if I looked at your knee? You seem to be in quite a bit of pain with it," she said, tilting her head.

"Yes, that would be good. I had the surgery in the spring and I'm living so far from a medical facility, I can't have regular doctor's appointments." Kurt went on to fill her in on his living arrangements and how he and Blaine had gotten together. By the end of his visit, they both felt almost like friends. His knee was doing okay, she just suggested that he keep up the workouts, but rest more when it got sore. In addition, she was able to make a few suggestions when he asked about positions that would work for them to accommodate Kurt's bad knee and his inability to bottom for a few months. He was not as embarrassed as he might have been, Dr. Parsons was used to questions like these and Kurt silently thanked his new friend, Hank, for bringing him here.

Kurt walked out to his waiting friends, Puck and Hank, a small look of relief on his face and anxious to get back to the hotel room. Blaine was supposed to call at eight and that was only a few hours away. He and Puck thanked Hank for all he had done for them and said goodbye in the lobby. Kurt was dragging so badly by then, Puck had considered picking him to carry him the rest of the way, but he knew Kurt would prefer to get there under his own steam. They went upstairs, ordered Chinese food to be delivered, and Puck settled his friend on the sofa with a warm blanket over his aching legs.

"Noah?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, you were a lifesaver, man. I honestly don't know what my life would be without you," Kurt said, taking the opportunity to hug his friend with all his heart.

"Dude, Blaine called while you were in with the doctor, he's coming tomorrow, I didn't tell him anything other than how your dad is doing."

Actually, Puck told Blaine that Kurt was sleeping, not wanting to be the one to tell him about the doctor and the reason he was there, He knew Kurt had intended to tell Blaine not to come, it wasn't necessary, but he could tell that Kurt really needed Blaine's support right now. Even if Burt was going to be fine, having to go to the doctor with this...condition...was not something Kurt should have to bear alone. He and Puck might be close friends, but even Puck knew it was hard for Kurt to talk about it. He hoped he did the right thing in telling Blaine to come.

_Earlier that morning, Warner Lumber Camp._

Blaine waved goodbye until he couldn't see the helicopter anymore. He was frantic inside, not wanting Kurt to have to face all of this alone, but knowing that if Burt were seriously ill, time was of the utmost importance. He knew Finn would be there to pick him up at the airport and get him to the hospital to see his father.

Walking back to the cook house, Blaine thought about getting Cookie or Shannon to make him some breakfast. He could do it on his own, but he didn't want to go back to the cabin and sit alone. He was already missing Kurt.

Balto came running up to him, tail wagging and tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Blaine looked around for a minute and spotted a stick. He grabbed it and threw it for the wolf-dog, watching as Balto went bounding after it into the woods, coming back minutes later to lay it at his feet and ask him to throw it again. Blaine threw the stick for about half an hour when he heard an earsplitting whistle and Balto ran for the path, hearing his mistress' call. Blaine shrugged his shoulders and walked into the cook house, seeing Shannon and sitting down at the counter.

"Hey, kid. Missing him already, aren't you?" she asked, rubbing his shoulders with her strong hands. He relaxed into her grip, enjoying the massaging of his sore muscles.

"Yeah, I want to be supportive, but that's kind of hard to do from here. Mr. Warner is trying to get me a ticket so I can join him tomorrow. This sounds stupid, but I really don't know what to do with myself with Kurt gone. I need to go feed the squirrel, but other than that, I suppose I could clean the cabin or do laundry or something," Blaine said, his shoulders slumping once again as Shannon put her hands down at her sides.

"I could always use some company. I need to knead the dough for bread this morning and there's nothing like hard work to get your mind off of your problems," she offered. Blaine smiled.

"I'd be glad to help," He offered and spent the rest of the morning kneading dough and baking bread. It was hard at first, he hadn't really had a good workout for his muscles in a long time, but after a while it began to feel really good to him. By the time the loaves of bread were all on the tables cooling, he was sweaty and tired and happy.

"Thanks, Shannon, I really needed that. I'm going to go hit the showers and then feed JayJay. I guess I'll see you at dinner?"

"Sure thing, punkin, thanks for keeping me company. Sharing good conversation always makes the work load lighter," she gave him a hug and sent him on his way. He went to gather his things to take with him to the bunkhouse.

Halfway back to his cabin from the showers in the bunkhouse, Blaine heard Balto running up to him.

"Back again, fella? I don't wanna throw a stick right now, I just got out of the shower," he said, rubbing the big animal behind his fuzzy ears.

"Hi, Blaine," Lenore said, walking around the turn in the path.

"Hey, Lenore, how are you doing?" He said politely.

"I came to give you a message. Kurt called. His father is doing fine, it was something minor and they adjusted his medication so he just needs to stay in the hospital a few days to make sure it's working."

"Blaine smiled at that, but was sad he hadn't been there when Kurt called. Lenore must have read that in his face because she hurried to add, "I told him you would call him at eight this evening. I'll bring the satellite phone to the cabin if you'd like."

"That would be great, I'd appreciate it. Thank you, Lenore," he said, smiling at the girl. She might be a pest and sometimes make him uncomfortable, but he had known her all his life and he really did care about her.

"There was another call. Someone named Puck? Like in Shakespeare?" she tilted her head in the cute way she had been doing since she was little. "He really needed to speak with you, so I brought you the phone. Here's his number," she offered a slip of paper.

"Thanks, did he say when I needed to call?" Blaine asked.

"Now. I told him I'd come get you right away. Do you need some privacy?" she asked, looking down.

"If I could, I don't know what it's about, but he wouldn't call if it wasn't important. I'll be back out in a few moments."

Blaine stepped down the path towards his cabin. He sat down on the settee and dialed the number.

"Puck? It's Blaine."

"Hey, man, good to hear your voice. I wanted to give you the update on Burt and talk to you about Kurt," Puck said.

"About Burt? Where are you?"

"In Seattle. Long story. I was with Finn in the house in Philomath helping him move when he got the call from his mother. Burt and Carole are looking to buy a garage and shop here on the west coast to be near their boys, and Burt had some chest pain, so they ended up in Seattle at the trauma hospital. Finn is with his mom right now, I'm at the hotel with Kurt. He's asleep, but that's okay, because I wanted to talk to you about him," Puck continued.

"What? What's wrong with Kurt? Oh, hell, it's his leg – did he fall?" Blaine almost shouted, feeling guilty he had let him go by himself.

"Blaine, calm down. He's just tired from the stress. He's going to talk to you in a few hours like you planned, eight o'clock. He's going to tell you that you don't need to come, his dad is doing fine. That part is true. I know I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but I've known Kurt since kindergarten and I can tell you, he needs you here. He is pretending to be strong, but I've seen the two of you together and even I can see he needs you," Puck said again. He didn't want Blaine to misunderstand, but he was also reluctant to tell him the whole story without Kurt's permission.

"He's bad? Oh, shit. I will go see Mr. Warner and maybe..." Blaine started to say, but Puck interrupted.

"No need. I've already spoken to him. When you go see him later tonight he told me he'd have all the flight information ready for you. Then tomorrow morning, when you land in Seattle, I've arranged for a guy named Hank to pick you up. He'll have a paper with your name on it by the doors, you can't miss him – tall, blond with green eyes. He'll bring you here. Okay?"

"Of course, Puck, what the hell is going on?" Blaine was getting a bit frantic, but the connection was bad and all he could hear now was static. "Puck?"

The phone went dead and no amount of dialing would get Puck back. He almost threw it. Well, there was nothing to do but be at the house at eight to talk to Kurt and then go tomorrow to Seattle.

He walked back down the path, seeing Lenore throwing the stick for Balto.

"Lenny, can you feed JayJay while I'm gone?" he asked.

"Of course I can. Let's go get him now. Is there...anything wrong with Mr. Hummel? Is it bad news?" she asked.

"No, he's okay. Puck didn't say exactly what was wrong, but it had something to do with Kurt. I guess your dad is getting my flight ready for the morning," Blaine sounded lost and Lenore's heart hurt for him. She might want Blaine for herself, but she knew she was not born the right person for him. The next best thing was to be his friend, and she was determined to be just that.

"Blaine, get your stuff together and come up to the house tonight. I don't think you should be alone and you can sleep in your old room. Then you'll be that much closer to the helipad come morning. Okay?" she said, reaching out her hand to him. To her surprise, he took her hand and squeezed it, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Lenore. I'll do just that."


	24. Chapter 24 - Once Again, Slowly

Blaine was sitting on the plane, having just buckled his seatbelt. He felt agitated, kind of unsure of himself. Last night at the Warner's house he had tried to call Kurt on the satellite phone, but the connection kept dropping. He's heard a bare three words before it cut out for the last time, "...meet Hank there..." was all he heard. He knew from his earlier conversation with Puck that he would be picked up at the airport and taken to Kurt and Puck's room at the hotel. He closed his eyes, tired and really hating the plane's descent. It always made him feel queasy.

Getting off the plane, he walked down the corridor, thinking about the last time he saw Kurt, how scared his face was. All he wanted now was to have Kurt in his arms. He looked up, scanning the crowd as he walked and suddenly a card with his name printed on it caught his eye. It was being held by a tall good looking blond man with striking green eyes.

He walked over to the man, his hand out to shake and introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Blaine Anderson, you must be Hank?"

The man smiled and shook Blaine's offered hand, "Yes, Hank Holland. Glad to meet you."

Sitting in Hank's car, Blaine was a little unsettled. He always was when in the presence of someone he didn't know well, but this was different. He wasn't sure why, but he just didn't trust this man.

"So, where did you meet Kurt?" Blaine asked, hating the silence in the man's car.

"Oh, he was having trouble getting off the plane. I'm a steward, although I was only hitching a ride home that day, I saw he wasn't going to make it very far on his own. I bought him breakfast and helped him find his brother," Hank said, his bright smile shining.

"I'm worried about his leg," Blaine said, "it hasn't been that long since he had the surgery. When it comes to other people, Kurt tends to act first, then think about the consequences to himself later. He was so scared for his dad, he probably just ran himself ragged before he thought about his knee," Blaine said.

"Oh, Dr. Parson's had a look at it, there wasn't any damage, she just told him to rest it and not to let it get too overworked. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Dr. Parsons? Oh, did he have it looked at when he went to see Burt?" Blaine asked. He wished he had been able to talk more to Kurt last night. He really didn't like some stranger telling him how his boyfriend was doing.

"No, I took him to see my doctor since Kurt was new here," Hank said.

"It was bad enough he had to see a doctor?" Blaine said, surprised. He thought Puck would have mentioned it if it had been that serious. He was now very anxious to see Kurt, and wondered if there was something going on that nobody had told him.

"Ah, how well do you know Kurt? Getting off the plane was the first time you met?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, I don't know him well at all, I just gave him my number so if he needed anything while he was in Seattle, I could help out. He's a nice guy and so understanding about the kiss..." Hank stopped in mid-sentence. He glanced over at Blaine, seeing a confused and shocked look on his face, Hank decided he'd said too much and that Kurt would have to explain anything else.

"What kiss?" Blaine said very quietly, looking out the window.

"Oh, look, we're here. Can I help you with your bag or anything?" Hank asked, wishing he could sink into the upholstery of his car seat.

"No, I've got it. Room 307, right?" Blaine said.

"Ah, yeah. Listen, nothing happened, it was all a mistake. Don't blame Kurt. I can come up if you want and tell you about it..." Hank offered, cursing himself for slipping. He hadn't meant to tell Blaine about that. He liked Kurt and wanted to maintain his friendship, so he knew he had to make friends with Blaine, too.

"Look, Hank. I don't know what went on here, but I know Kurt will be able to explain it all. I trust him with every fiber of my being, okay? So let's just drop this conversation. I want to go see Kurt," Blaine said, a little rudely since he just wanted everyone to quit getting in his way.

"I'll call later, but we have tentative plans for dinner at seven. I'll see you later, Blaine. It was nice meeting you," Hank said, shaking Blaine's hand. Blaine just looked at the man and snorted. He stopped himself from rolling his eyes since he really didn't know this man, and opted for a quick end to the conversation.

"Ah, you, too," Blaine said and turned to walk in the hotel.

Blaine had just brought his hand up to knock on the door when Puck opened it.

"Yes, Kurt, I'm getting the door, I saw the car drive up, too," Puck said over his shoulder into the room. He turned to see Blaine standing there and put his arms out for a hug. Blaine fell into them, hugging Puck tightly.

"Hey, it's good to see you!" Blaine said. He backed out of the hotel room, pulling Puck with him.

"What?' Puck asked, but Blaine shushed him.

"Okay, what the fuck? I get this call from you saying that although Burt is fine, I need to get here right away. Then I get picked up at the airport by a guy I've never heard of before who tells me he had to take Kurt to his doctor, and he kissed him? What the hell is going on, Puck?" Blaine had been getting louder as he spoke, but Puck laid a hand gently over his mouth.

"Hush a moment, Blaine. I'll tell you everything, just don't upset Kurt anymore than he already is. Okay? It all has an explanation and we'll tell you. Now, come in and greet Kurt before you tear his head off, he needs you," Puck said, patting Blaine's arm to calm him.

"_You_ tell me. Now," Blaine said.

"I think you should hear it from..."

"Now." Blaine said and Puck sighed.

"Alright. Yesterday after lunch, Kurt went in to take a shower and I heard him fall. I went in to check and he was lying in a pool of blood. I called Gramma Sofia and she told me to take him to a doctor. Kurt was awake by then and Hank had given him his name and number, so we called him to get the name of an urgent care clinic, but he took Kurt to his own doctor because she deals with...these things," Puck was blushing bright red.

"These things?" Blaine asked.

"Ah...Blaine, I think you need to talk to Kurt. He's okay, but right now he's in bed. He needs to rest. Come on, he'll get all upset again if we don't get in there," Puck said. Blaine turned and walked in, spotting the door to the bedroom.

"Kurt?" he asked, looking at his boyfriend lying in the bed. He looked pale.

"Blaine! Come here," Kurt put his arms out like a small child and Blaine sat on the bed, grasping Kurt very gently, avoiding his sore knee.

"Oh, baby, I missed you. I know it was only a few days, but it seemed like a month," Blaine said softly, burying his face in Kurt's neck.

"I missed you, too." Kurt said, kissing him. They lay kissing and holding each other for quite a while until Puck cleared his throat.

"I'm going to go get some lunch, can I bring you two anything back?" he asked, smiling at how happy Kurt was now that he had Blaine in his arms again.

"Yeah, whatever you're having," Kurt smiled.

"There's a deli just two blocks away. I was getting a Reuben. Sound good?" he asked.

"Wonderful!" Blaine agreed, and so Kurt asked him to get two.

"All right. Now, tell me everything," Blaine said, having taken off his shoes and jacket and climbed into bed with Kurt. He was holding him, Kurt's back fit perfectly against Blaine's chest where Blaine could kiss his neck and hold his hand over Kurt's heart.

"Start with kissing Hank."

Kurt stiffened. How did Blaine hear about that already?

"I was getting off the airplane and got dizzy. Hank was standing next to me, caught me, and practically carried me to some chairs. He bought me a sandwich and tea, and when I was done eating, he leaned forward and kissed me. I told him I was in a relationship, he apologized – I guess he thought I was flirting? - and he helped me find Finn. He really was embarrassed that he mistook my friendliness as flirting and apologized over and over. He barely touched me, it was just a brush of his lips, Blaine. Nothing. And then he offered to give me his number so he could take us out to dinner to make up for it when you joined me," Kurt said, looking at Blaine through his half-closed eyes, peering through his lashes to see how Blaine was taking it.

"Well, I can't say I'm overjoyed, but I can see where he might make a mistake. It's okay, Kurt, I trust you. Now, he said he took you to the doctor?"

"Hank didn't know exactly why I needed a doctor, just that I asked him where the closest urgent care center was. I only said I needed to find one that was okay with gay men. He came and took me to his personal doctor. That is another story. Did Puck tell you anything when you talked to him earlier?" Kurt asked, pulling back a little.

Blaine turned Kurt over in his arms to face him, very gently to accommodate his leg.

"Blaine, I just want you to know I love you, and I don't blame you in any way, okay?"

"Blame me for what?" he asked, getting a bad feeling creeping up the back of his skull.

"You know the night before I left?" Kurt asked, searching Blaine's face.

"Of course, Kurt. It was the best night of my life. Why? Did you think I could forget that?"

"Well, no. But do you remember there was...a ...a little tear that bled?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, my god...Kurt? Are you okay? Oh...did it start to bleed again? Do I need to take you to the hospital?" Blaine was getting panicked.

"Calm down, I'm fine. I was taking a shower and I passed out, probably from loss of blood. Puck found me and figured out what was wrong from all the blood. I didn't know what to do so then I thought of Hank. He came and drove me, I didn't want to tell Carole or Finn.

"I am fine, Blaine, but there is a tear and I have to take some medicine and things to make sure it heals. She said I have to wait six to eight weeks for it to heal before we can...go all the way again," Kurt was red with embarrassment. He was closer to Blaine than he'd ever been to anyone, but this was still hard to talk about.

"Oh...Kurt. I am so sorry. We don't ever have to do it again. I was so afraid I'd hurt you, baby, and I did. I am so sorry..." Blaine was upset, hugging his boyfriend close and kissing his cheeks, tears dropping on his hair as he held him.

"It's okay, Blaine. It was nothing you did wrong, I asked her all about it and she said it is fairly common. We just need to be careful. We're going to be fine, Blaine. I promise," Kurt assured him.

"Kurt, I will take care of you, baby. I promise," Blaine said.

"Okay. I'll show you what I need to do. It's kind of hard for me to reach, and there was no way I was asking Noah. Dr. Parsons said there is no reason we can't still have sex, we just have to ...well..." Kurt was blushing and just quieted down for a moment.

"We can still do it, baby, if you want to. I am happy to bottom for you, that is fine with me, my love. Top or bottom or none at all is fine with me, Kurt, as long as you're okay," Blaine told him, kissing his forehead.

Kurt snuggled closer, his mouth next to Blaine's ear. "She told me some new positions, Blaine. We can try them tonight, Puck is sleeping in Finn's room since Carole is staying in a cot at the hospital with Dad most nights. I'll have you alone in here with me," Kurt whispered, and licked up Blaine's neck, to the back of his ear. Blaine shivered, tugging Kurt closer.

"I can think of something to do now...before Puck gets back with dinner..."

"No, Kurt. I don't want you to hurt yourself. Noah said the doctor advised bed rest. Oh, Kurt, I don't want to do anything that might hurt you, you know that. Maybe we should just not get too amorous."

Kurt curled into Blaine, basically not answering Blaine in words, but his actions spoke very clearly. He started undoing his boyfriend's buttons and zipper and pulling off clothes until they were both naked under the blankets. Blaine wanted to protest in the worst way, knowing he had to be responsible but failing in that as Kurt became more exuberant in his demands. Kurt was back under the blankets and had his mouth around Blaine, tongue moving and moaning as he sucked on his cock before Blaine had time to say anything. He was a bit rough, using his teeth just a little by accident in his enthusiasm. He barely had time to breathe before Blaine was warning him of his impending climax and Kurt just pushed himself farther down Blaine's shaft as his boyfriend came down his throat, shaking and calling his name.

With hardly any recovery time, Blaine was reciprocating. He took Kurt's erection in his mouth in a frenzy to push him over the edge before Puck got back. Kurt was moaning, squealing, and panting as Blaine did his very best to give his boyfriend the release he so obviously needed right now. In an amazingly short amount of time, Kurt was lying there with big eyes, crying out Blaine's name over and over as he came into his boyfriend's mouth. They hardly had time to wipe their mouths before they were were tangled together, holding each other as if they had been separated for years instead of a few days. This was the scene that greeted Puck when he got back, and he was grinning from ear to ear at the sight.

"Been busy?" he asked, taking in the sight of Kurt with Blaine on top of him, the blankets pulled up to their chins, blushing.

"Ah, just ..catching up," Blaine said, looking down at Kurt.

"It's all good. I'll just sit a while so we can eat...oh, here, I brought in plates. And drinks," Puck passed everything around and Blaine turned on the television, trying to keep the blanket in place so Puck couldn't see just how naked the pair actually were.

"I ran into Finn at the deli, he is going to join us. I hope that was okay?" Puck said, faking nonchalance as he gazed over his two friends, seemingly not noticing their state of undress. Kurt had pulled the blanket over his head and was making squeaking noises at Blaine.

"Yeah...Noah? Can you go get some...ah..napkins?" Blaine asked, fidgeting in the bed.

Puck looked at him, then at the pile of paper napkins sitting beside the sack the sandwiches were in. Blaine frowned at him and Puck got the message.

"I'll be right back...I think there are some in my room," he said as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Blaine rushed to get their clothes and helped Kurt into his pants, his leg making them slow down a bit. Puck knocked on the door before coming back in with more napkins.

"Finn is just down the hall, I saw him getting off the elevator," Puck said.

"Of course. He can update us on how Dad is doing. I guess he told Dad I was sick and he didn't want him to catch anything and that is why I didn't go see him today," Kurt explained.

"Does Finn know why you're in bed?" Puck asked, surprised to think Kurt would share the information with anyone.

"Ah, no, not exactly. It isn't something I want to discuss with anyone. At all," Kurt said, glaring at Puck with murder in his eyes.

"Kurt, I don't even know exactly what happened, and I'm not going to ask," he assured his friend, but he saw Blaine turn pale.

"Hey, where are you guys?" Finn asked, walking in the room, a bag in his hand.

After all the greetings, he sat down in a chair and looked over at Kurt.

"You feeling better, bro?" he asked as he passed a bottle of apple juice to Kurt.

"Yeah, still a bit under the weather. My knee is sore, but maybe I'll feel like getting up tomorrow. How is Dad doing?"

"They will keep him all day tomorrow, they're running a treadmill test which Burt is really grumbling about, then probably release him the next day. He and Mom are planning on going to this suburb of Seattle, called Kent, to talk to the owner of a shop there, an older guy is retiring and Burt had a good conversation going with him. He thinks that might be the place he wants to buy. He has to sell the place in Lima, but he said they are willing to do that. He wants to talk to all of us tomorrow night," Finn told Kurt.

They ate their sandwiches and chatted about the house in Philomath, the upcoming classes, how things were going in the logging camp.

"Hey, Blaine, why don't you walk Puck next door and make sure he has all the stuff he needs for tonight. I'll be right behind you. I want to talk to my brother for a minute," Finn said. Blaine looked at Kurt, who nodded.

"Sure thing, Finn. I'll just be next door if you need me then," Blaine said, looking longingly at Kurt, and left with Puck.

"Finn?" Kurt said, looking up at his brother.

"I just wanted to talk to you alone for a minute, Kurt. I told dad you had a sore knee from all the walking you did yesterday, but he isn't stupid. If you don't see him tomorrow, he's going to start guessing why you aren't there. To be blunt, we all saw you walk into his room like you were walking on eggshells. Want to tell me what's wrong with you?" Finn asked.

"It is not what you think," Kurt said defensively.

"What do you imagine I'm thinking?" Finn asked.

"That Blaine hurt me," Kurt answered. "Well, he didn't."

"Okay, then what is going on?"

"Shit. Can I have no privacy at all?" Kurt snapped. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Finn.

"Kurt, I know you and Blaine are having sex. I've known since the day you came home to Lima and I heard you two in the shower," Finn said. Kurt just sat there with his mouth open. He stared at his brother, red creeping up his face as the embarrassment opened the floodgates of all his capillaries.

"I'm sorry, I never meant for you to know that, Kurt. I walked into your room with your luggage and you weren't there. I heard the water running and I was near the door, intending to knock and tell you lunch was almost ready, but I heard a noise. I thought at first that you were hurt, then when I got closer, I realized that you were in there with Blaine."

"Oh my stars, Finn. How could you? How long did you listen?" Kurt asked, remembering exactly what went on that day.

"Not long. I was worried at first, but you sounded like you were enjoying what Blaine was doing to you, and while I don't know what it was exactly, I have a pretty good idea. I just...gee, Kurt, I don't know how to say this without sounding like a creep, but I was happy for you. I think you had been unhappy for so long, nobody knew you any other way. They'd gotten so used to you being sad, it was like normal for you. After you came home with Blaine, you were different."

Kurt just looked at his brother, taking in this new information.

"I could hear how good it was for you, Kurt, and I have never heard that with Rachel. As hard as I try, I've never made her that happy. I am so glad you met Blaine, if he can do something to make you that happy, I am overjoyed the two of you are together."

Kurt just nodded, unable to say anything.

"But Kurt, I know people joke about gay guys not being able to walk straight the day after. I am making a huge assumption here, but does this..." he waved his hand over Kurt, lying in bed, "Does this have anything to do with having sex with Blaine?"

"Yes, Finn, it does. I would say it's none of your business, but I can see it's just out of your concern for my welfare. No, Blaine is not abusive. I am so tired of having to explain to everyone that he did not hurt me deliberately. It was – oh, shit..." Kurt was trying his best to keep the tears out of his eyes, but they were getting ready to spill down his face.

Finn wasn't sure what to do, he hadn't meant to make his brother feel bad. He moved closer and took Kurt into a warm embrace, rubbing his back to soothe him.

"It's okay, Kurt. We're brothers. You can tell me, and you know it won't go any further. Get it off your chest, okay?" Finn offered. Kurt nodded. Finn was right, he might feel better if he could tell someone.

"It was my first time and it was Blaine's, too. We knew how to do it, but the pamphlets only go so far in instructing, so we had to just guess at a lot of...ah...technical matters. It was good, Finn, it was more amazing than I could have imagined. Afterwards, I found blood on the sheets and, well, ah...it was just a small tear. It just happened, we were a little over exuberant, and he's ….shit...he's not small, okay? That's all. It just needs a little time to heal, and everything will be fine. Okay? Honest to god, Finn, it was just magical, then it wasn't. Please, Finn...don't judge Blaine, he didn't mean to, okay?" Kurt looked so frightened, Finn's mouth went dry and he had trouble speaking. He patted Kurt's back instead.

"I do not want this to get to Dad. If we had stayed at the cabin, nobody would know. I don't want to talk about it anymore," Kurt gave him a pleading look. This simple thing had turned into a nightmare. He closed his eyes and put his head down in his hands.

"Oh, hey, Kurt! I won't say another word. I was just worried and I'm your brother. If you can't tell me, who can you talk to? Blaine of course, but I thought you might need someone other than him this time," Finn said. "I don't mean to be a mother hen, but a lot has happened to you this year, right?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Thanks, Finn. And what you said about Blaine? True. He makes me feel good all the time, and not just physically. I feel more like me, I feel happier when he's around. I love him, Finn, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Him and nobody else forever, he's truly the love of my life. Do you think I'm too young to know that?" Kurt asked.

"No. I don't. I'm happy for you. Now, I bet he's excited to see you so I'll go with Puck. Let me know if you need me. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He leaned in and hugged his brother.

"I'll see you later, Finn," Kurt said.

"You too, little brother," Finn said, turning to leave.

"Hey, baby," Blaine said from the doorway.

"Hi," Kurt smiled, patting the bed beside him.

"Everything okay?" he asked, noticing that Kurt was twisting his fingers together. It was something he had seen Kurt do when he was nervous.

"I just need you, Blaine. Really need you. Can you hold me?" Kurt asked, putting his hands out. He knew that action never failed to get a response from his boyfriend.

Blaine came and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Do you need to take a shower or anything? I was going to jump in for a few minutes, the trip was kind of long," Blaine offered. "Hank said we have reservations for seven? It's just now two thirty, so we have about four hours. I was thinking I want a shower before I go out."

"That sounds wonderful. Let's take one together?" Kurt asked.

In the shower, Kurt leaned on Blaine as he stepped over the side of the bathtub. Blaine smiled as he took Kurt in his arms, guiding him under the cascading water. He washed Kurt, rubbing the soap into suds in the washcloth and gently scrubbing Kurt's skin.

"Kurt? Is there anything we need to do...for your, ah, injury?" Blaine asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I have to be careful to keep it clean of course. I have some medicine and I'm taking a course of antibiotics just in case. Just be gentle, it bleeds easily," Kurt said.

"Of course I will, my love. Here, lean against the tile and I'll look to be sure it's okay," Blaine offered and Kurt did as he asked.

"It's looking so much better. Okay, there you go. How is your knee feeling?"

"Sore if I'm telling the truth. Staying in bed today helped a lot. I want to go see my dad tomorrow, though,"

"Of course, we'll go with Finn in the morning. Now, about dinner tonight?" Blaine didn't want to go anywhere, least of all out with some great looking tall guy that had tried to kiss Kurt. He didn't realize how angry he looked until he glanced over at Kurt. His face was a study in hurt. He forced himself to smile.

"Sorry, my mind was wandering. Okay, this guy Hank is picking us up at six? Right? Do you know where we're going?"

"No, he didn't say, but we'll be fine. I didn't bring that many clothes with me. Here, let me wash your hair," Kurt said, pouring a bit of shampoo into his palm and rubbing it in his hands before reaching up to put his hands on Blaine's scalp. Blaine sighed in contentment, a gentle smile on his face as Kurt rubbed it into the curls, carding his fingers through to get the shampoo on every strand. He caressed and rubbed until Blaine was as relaxed as he could be, humming in contentment. He pumped some shower gel into his hand, smoothing it across Blaine's back and taking a soft cloth, rubbed it into his skin, down his muscles in his back, and rinsing as he went on to Blaine's arms and sides. Now kissing the warm skin as he went, Kurt washed Blaine all over and after rinsing him, they got out of the shower.

"Oh, baby, that feels so good. My muscles are so sore and being here in this shower with you – I am so happy you came, Blaine. I needed you," he said quietly, but Blaine heard him and pulled him closer.

"I needed you, too, my love."

They got dressed after drying off, showing great restraint as they kept their hands to themselves and got their clothes on. Hank had called and would be downstairs in ten minutes. Kurt wore his maroon dress slacks with a white shirt and black blazer. Blaine picked out a pink and maroon tie and put it around Kurt's neck, tying it and kissing Kurt quickly. Blaine was wearing black trousers with a dark red shirt, a black matching waistcoat of the same fabric as the trousers. His bow tie was white satin and instead of a blazer, he wore a charcoal gray cardigan. Kurt had just gotten his leg brace on straight when there was a knock at the door. Hank was there, dressed very nicely in a navy blue suit holding two boutonnières, a carnation each for both Blaine and Kurt.

"Thank you, Hank, that was so nice of you," Kurt smiled. Hank smiled back, then smiled at Blaine, who had a hard time trying not to return a grin. He might be irritated at this man for kissing his boyfriend, but Blaine basically loved everyone and it was difficult for him to maintain a grudge.

"Do you two like Italian?" Hank asked and both nodded. "Ah, then have you ever been to The Old Spaghetti Factory?"

"No, neither of us has been to Seattle before," Blaine said.

"I think you'll enjoy it," Hank said and led the way to the waiting taxi.

At the restaurant, he pulled out chairs for both of his guests and they all sat at an intimate table inside the cable car that was part of the decorations. Blaine grinned once again, having a good time. The waitress served them wine when Hank ordered it, and he made a few suggestions about what dishes were the best when Kurt asked. Kurt ordered the Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter sauce on his pasta, Blaine got the Gourmet Jumbo Crab Ravioli, and Hank ordered the Sicilian Roast Beef Meatballs in Maranara sauce.

What had started out as three prim and proper young men eating a stiffly formal dinner turned into three friends having a wonderful time eating delicious food, drinking a lot of red wine, and talking together like they had known each other all their lives. They laughed at silly jokes and reminisced about growing up in different places. Blaine told him a little about living at the lumber camp, Kurt told Hank things about Ohio that even Blaine didn't know. Hank had lived all over, from Hawaii to New York, and how his job as an airline steward had been the greatest tool for getting to know people. He put both boys at ease and they were soon drinking another bottle of wine.

Stumbling in to their hotel room, Blaine asked Hank if he would like a small glass of something, which was funny because Hank was the one with the bottle. They all laughed while Blaine explained he had meant water or juice and Hank helped Kurt over to the sofa to get off his feet while Blaine left to go to the front desk to get some glasses. Hank got Kurt comfortable on the sofa, running his hands over Kurt's good leg.

"Can I maybe loosen the brace so you can relax a bit more?" he asked Kurt, who was trying to focus his eyes on Hank's face.

"Sure, it's hurting, just undo the buckles there..." Kurt slurred his words and Hank, who was not too drunk but just a bit tipsy, undid the buckle on Kurt's ankle. He rubbed the leg through his trousers to relax him a bit more before going higher to the two straps at the knee, one above and one below. He unbuckled them and rubbed the leg.

"How does that feel, Kurt?" the blond man asked, trying to look into Kurt's eyes, but Kurt kept closing them. "Do you want me to undo the last one?"

Kurt hummed a yes, his leg was cramping a little and getting the brace off would help.

Hank put his hands up to unbuckle the strap, moving the back of his hand over Kurt's crotch, very gently but firmly enough for him to feel it. Kurt jerked his eyes open and looked at Hank, wondering if it was deliberate. His eyes were blurry and we was wondering where Blaine had gone. Oh, yes, down the hall to get some plastic cups from the desk clerk.

"Here, I got it," Hank said as he undid the buckle and massaged Kurt through his trousers. Kurt started to protest, but his head was spinning and it took him a few seconds before he focused enough to realize what Hank was doing. He had removed the straps and was taking the brace off his leg and setting it on the floor, smiling at Kurt.

"Blaine will be right back, I'm sure," Hank said, cupping Kurt's chin in his palm. Kurt didn't like that at all and pulled back as far as he could.

"Hey, I'm with Blaine, I thought you understood," Kurt slurred in a tone as deep as he was capable of. He tried to focus on Hank's face, but it kept swimming around.

"I know, Kurt. I won't do anything to break you up. You are the one that doesn't understand. I took you both to dinner, because I want you both," Hank smiled, running his hand up the inside of Kurt's leg, cupping around his balls through the fabric of his trousers. Kurt didn't want to be, but he could feel himself getting hard. How was that possible, he was so drunk on the wine. What would Blaine say? He wanted Blaine back, right now. He wanted to get up and go get Blaine, but without his brace, his leg was not reliable. He tried to push Hank away, crying out for Blaine because he was confused. Nobody touched him there except his Blaine.

"I couldn't find anything but Solo cups, but they should work..." Blaine stood in the doorway, looking at Hank running his hand up Kurt's thigh, his other hand cupping his balls and a look of terror on Kurt's face.

"What are you doing?" Blaine roared. "Get your hands off of him!"

"No, no...you don't understand, Blaine. I don't want just Kurt, I want you both. As in a threesome. I was just helping Kurt get his brace off of his leg. I thought after all the wine and the good time we were having..?" Hank stuttered, beginning to catch up to what was happening around him. "Look, Blaine, Kurt is enjoying it, you could, too."

Kurt was too scared to speak. He looked up at Blaine with fear in his eyes, begging him silently to rescue him.

"Get your hands off of Kurt. Now," Blaine said, feeling sober all of a sudden. He was a good eight or ten inches shorter than Hank and at least twenty-five pounds lighter. He was quite a bit more drunk. Hank did not let go, unzipping his dress slacks and Kurt squealed, not knowing what to do.

Blaine had seen enough, he had warned this man twice. That was enough in his book.

"Hank, get away from him," Blaine warned for the last time, but Hank, who didn't realize how scared Kurt was or how angry Blaine was, slipped his hand inside Kurt's zipper and took his hard cock in his hand, leaning forward to maybe kiss him.

Blaine's hand was grasping the hair on the back of the man's head, pulling him up and off the sofa. Hank recovered a bit, straightening his spine and standing, looking at Blaine in disbelief. This was something that he did all the time and he was too tipsy to wonder why it was not going his way. But he didn't like Blaine pushing him, so he took a swing at the shorter man. That was his second mistake of the evening. Blaine had pulled back his fist and his lightning quick reflexes, dulled a bit by drink, were still fast enough to hit the man square in the jaw before he even knew what came over him.

Kurt looked up as Hank went down, but his eyes weren't on Hank or Blaine. Standing in the doorway was Finn. Puck and Carole were behind him. Kurt took one look, then at his penis where Hank had pulled it out of his pants...and the dizziness overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes and slid into darkness.

Blaine looked from the doorway to Kurt and snatched Kurt's jacket off the back of the sofa, flinging it over his boyfriend's lap before taking a breath.

Nobody moved for a few very long seconds, then pandemonium broke out.

"What is going on in here?" Finn asked, looking at Blaine, who was the only one of the three still conscious.

"I don't know exactly. This guy that befriended Kurt at the airport asked to take us to dinner when I got here. So we went out and had a bottle of wine, then another. We were getting drunk I think, so I went to get some glasses so we could have some water and try to sober up, I don't have much experience with alcohol. I was down the hall and heard Kurt yell, so I ran back and this guy, Hank, was _undressing_ him. I guess I just went on instinct because I hardly remember even pulling back to punch, but he's out cold," Blaine said, looking from one person to another, not sure what to do. Then he happened to glance at Kurt and knew exactly what to do, he walked around the sofa and sat down on the edge of the cushion.

"Kurt, are you okay, baby? Kurt?" Blaine called to him, cupping his jaw and feeling the pulse in his neck. It was strong and steady. He slid his hand under the jacket and got Kurt tucked back in his trousers quickly before he stroked his cheek. Kurt was waking up, looking around himself as if he didn't know where he was, then a look of panic struck him. Carole knew exactly what that look meant and grabbed a wastecan, holding it by Kurt as he leaned over the side of the sofa and promptly lost his dinner. Blaine held his shoulders as he heaved again and again.

"Hey, is the kid okay?" Hank asked, having recovered and was sitting up, shaking his head and looking over at Kurt getting sick once again.

"He's drunk, if that's what you mean," Finn said. "Are you responsible for this?"

"Ah, yes, I suppose I am. I invited Kurt and his boyfriend out to dinner and we had some wine," Hank answered, touching his jaw gently where the bruise was beginning to bloom. He moved his jaw a bit, but determined it wasn't broken.

"Hell of a right cross you've got there," he said to Blaine.

"Yeah, well you deserved it. What exactly was going on?" Blaine asked again.

"A major miscommunication. Kurt, I am so sorry. I will leave, but I hope you will give me the chance to apologize tomorrow? And to you, too, Blaine. Honestly, it was a mistake. I'll go get a cab," he said.

Blaine would have protested, but he was too busy with Kurt and just wanted the man to leave.

Puck took it upon himself to escort Hank out of the building. He grabbed him under his arm and twisted it behind him, steering him out with it. Once in the lobby, he walked over to the desk.

"Can you call a can for this man, please?" Puck asked the clerk, then took Hank the rest of the way outside.

"What the fuck were you doing?" Puck demanded.

"Nothing...well, I thought they wanted to have some fun. I'm sorry, man. Tell them I'm sorry. I'll come apologize tomorrow when everyone is feeling better," Hank said, flirting with Puck.

Puck just looked at him for a moment, stopping himself from giving him the same treatment Blaine had.

"Now you listen to me, buddy. Those two are my friends. I do not want you to get near them again. Ever. Blaine? He's a prize fighter and has laid more men on the mat than you can comprehend. You do not want to be on the receiving end of his punch when he's sober. And Kurt? He's Blaine's boyfriend. Exclusively. So go home and don't show your face here ever again. You understand?"Puck asked. Hank nodded and Puck turned abruptly, swaggering back into the hotel.

Finn sat down in a chair he had pulled up beside Kurt and took over stroking his forehead for a moment. He looked at Blaine. "Are you gonna be sick, too?"  
"No, Finn. I'm fine. I think the fight took it out of me. I think we need to get Kurt to bed. I'm sure things will look better in the morning," he said in a tired voice.

Carole had walked out with Hank, looked him over to make sure he was alright and hailed him a cab. She was now back, putting her hand on Kurt's forehead to assess if he had a fever – but it was more just to give him comfort.

"Are you doing okay, Kurt?" she asked and he nodded. "Well, then, I'm going across to our room and get into bed. Finn, Puck, can you stay and help Blaine get Kurt into bed? Be careful of his leg. We will see you all in the morning," Carole concluded, going across to their room. She wanted to stay, but realized Kurt was probably already embarrassed enough. He looked none the worse for wear and Carole was right across the hall if she was needed.

"Wow, Blaine. You knocked that guy the fuck out!" Finn said, looking at Blaine with new eyes. Puck wasn't far behind him.

"How did you learn to do that?" Puck asked. Kurt had never discussed the boxing aspect of Blaine's life with anyone.

"I am a prize-fighter," Blaine said, "and it took years to learn that."

Puck and Finn just stared at him.

"You mean a boxer?" Puck asked, and Blaine nodded. "For money?" Blaine nodded again.

"Look, I'd love to tell you about my career, but I think Kurt needs me now. So, if you can help me get him into bed?" Blaine asked. Puck and Finn both jumped to help. They had Kurt in bed in a few minutes and Blaine showed the boys to the door.

"Thanks for all your help, we'll talk in the morning. I think Kurt and I just need to rest, okay?" Blaine said, tired to the bone and just wanting to go to bed.

"Call if you need anything," Finn said, patting Blaine on the shoulder.

"Will do," Blaine said, bumping fists with Puck, too. He closed the door and locked it, then stumbled towards the bedroom.

"Kurt, are you really okay?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, as long as you are here with me, Blaine. It has just been too much, you know? I should have known better than to trust anyone, but there I was, vulnerable and naïve once again. Will I never learn? Hank seemed like a genuine nice guy, not some maniac. Did I do something to attract that?"

"No, my love, you didn't. He was in the wrong, and he admitted it. I don't think he'll bother us anymore. Now, let's get these clothes off of you," Blaine said, unbuttoning Kurt's shirt. He removed all of Kurt's clothes, then helped Kurt to settle in a comfortable position in the bed. He had helped him wash up, brush his teeth, and comb his hair.

Naked and tired, Kurt scooted to the center of the bed and rolled back on his elbows. "I still need to do the stuff...for my wound."

"I'll help you, I'm done in there." Blaine said, indicating that he'd just come from the bathroom, brushing his own teeth.

"Bring the plastic container, it has everything in it," Kurt said, lying down on the sheets.

Blaine sat by Kurt's feet, which were drawn up so he could access the wound. Kurt was very quiet, explaining the procedure but looking away.

"You okay, Kurt?" Blaine asked, pulling on the latex gloves.

"It's just...I feel like every pregnant woman must feel – like everyone on Earth has seen everything I have between my legs. Like some sort of museum display. Shit, even Puck has seen my asshole. I feel like I don't have any privacy at all," Kurt said, still not looking at Blaine. Blaine finished with the cleaning routine and was applying the ointment, trying to be gentle but also trying to hurry to get it over with to save Kurt any more embarrassment. He finished, placing the things back in the container and set it on the nightstand. He pulled the blankets over Kurt, then removed the rest of his own clothes and slid into bed.

"I understand, baby. It won't be long before we're back at the cabin and we won't have to live in this showcase of drama. It can be just us, once again. Or...have you changed your mind?" Blaine asked, but he was already sure of Kurt, sure he would pick _him_.

"I can't wait for that day. I told Carole that I would go with them to see this place they want to buy in Kent as soon as Dad is out of the hospital. Then we can go back to Philomath with Puck and Finn, to see about the house. What is this? June fifteenth? We still have until September first to be alone in the cabin. I want that so much, Blaine," Kurt said in a soft voice.

Blaine scooted closer.

"Is this okay? Are you still feeling queasy from the wine?" Blaine asked.

"No, not at all. I'm sorry I got sick all over. Thank goodness for Carole, she was right there with the wastebasket, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Blaine, can I ask you something?" Kurt pleaded.

"You can always ask me anything, you know that," Blaine said, combing his fingers through Kurt's hair in a calming gesture – though he was unsure if it was to calm Kurt or himself.

"Did I do something to make Hank think I wanted to have sex with him? Or that I wanted to _share_ you?" Kurt asked, still dumbfounded at Hank's actions.

"No. His kind are always misinterpreting signals – especially when it gets him what he wants. I have the feeling he manipulates a lot of people into thinking they want to have sex with him – in whatever configuration. I know he said he was sorry, but I don't want to see him tomorrow. What do you think?" Blaine kissed Kurt's hair, rubbing his hand in tiny circles across his back.

"No, I don't either. I don't want to have some huge dramatic scene, I just want to get back to my life. Okay?"

"Yeah, baby. That's what we'll do. See your dad first thing, then if he's okay to go, we'll see this new garage. We'll be back in the cabin by the end of the week," Blaine sighed. It could not come soon enough.

Kurt was lying on his back, his leg finally in a position that he could rest it. He could hear Blaine breathing, but it wasn't steady so he knew he wasn't asleep. Kurt was done talking for the day, but he was not sleepy. He turned a little to see Blaine was lying on his front, arms above his head which was resting on a pillow. It was warm in the room, so neither of them were curled under the blankets, which were around their hips.

Blaine was beautiful. His skin was flawless, smooth and golden and stretched over his bones and muscles to show him off to every advantage. He had amazing arms: strong and muscled, and perfect to snuggle into when Kurt needed a refuge. Kurt always felt so safe in those arms, from the very first night. Kurt picked up his own hand, reaching over to touch the muscle above Blaine's shoulder-blade, feeling how taut it was flexed like it was now. He sat up partially, leaning over Blaine to plant a kiss on that muscle. It was a wet kiss, but not the messy kind. The kind that seems a lot more like worship than like seduction. That's what Blaine's head told him. But his body disagreed and sent signals down south to disturb any rest Blaine thought he might be getting in the next hour. Blaine hummed in anticipation.

Kurt kept kissing his boyfriend, down his arm, over the bulge of his bicep, and to the soft skin of the underside of his forearm. He stopped at Blaine's wrist, licking a bit and feeling the steady pulse of his faithful heart beating. He took the first finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the digit and making a game of it. He began to whine, simulating the sounds he made when he wanted Blaine. His body was fooled – he found himself with a tingling in his belly and blood filling his cock. He shifted to accommodate for this rising.

"Blaine, my love...I'm getting hard for you," he whispered, blowing his warm breath into Blaine's ear.

Blaine stiffened every muscle in his body and he turned to look at Kurt, his eyes turning almost black as he pulled Kurt closer.

"Touch me, Blaine..." Kurt whispered, trailing his own hand over Blaine's chest, down his leg and cupped Blaine in his hand, rubbing up and down as he watched Blaine's face. "It's just the two of us, isn't it? Forever?" Kurt continued as Blaine's hand ghosted down his arm and across his belly to stay there, rubbing the soft skin so lightly for a while before moving further down and around Kurt's cock, which was now heavy with arousal.

"You are so beautiful, my love. I can't be in the same room with you and not feel the pull to be next to you, to touch you. I want you, Kurt, I want you to make love to me," Blaine asked, pinning Kurt to the bed with his eyes. Kurt couldn't move under that stare.

"Yes, baby. I can do that," Kurt agreed. Really, Blaine had been thinking a lot about it, ever since the night he had taken Kurt's virginity. He wanted to give that gift back.

"Uhhh...oh, Blaine, ahhh" Kurt was coming apart with the simple act of Blaine kissing him, their hands and mouths all over each other. They had started slowly, with gentle kissing that turned desperate so quickly; then they had held each other, softly massaging and touching that turned into stroking and rubbing, rough for them as Blaine tried to keep Kurt from hurting his leg or anything else and Kurt didn't want to stop and be coddled – he wanted to be inside Blaine right now, and he had no patience left. Blaine was scratching Kurt's back as he bit into his neck, sucking hard and pinching his nipple just to hear Kurt squeal.

Kurt was so turned on, he gave back with equal measure – taking Blaine's nipple in his mouth and biting down, not too hard, but rubbing his tongue hard across the little bit of flesh in his teeth until Blaine's intake of breath and subsequent moan was felt in Kurt's cock. He was so aroused and wanted Blaine so badly, he was shaking with the thought of it.

Kurt had opened the tube of lubricant with one hand and had a large amount that he was warming in his hand while he used his tongue to bathe Blaine's neck before he put his lips on just the right spot and sucked again, getting a sexy whine from his boyfriend. Just when Blaine was focusing on that love bite, Kurt slipped his hand around and pushed his finger into Blaine, spreading the warm lubricant all around his entrance. Blaine almost fell off the bed in surprise, his eyes so wide as Kurt placed his lips over Blaine's open mouth, shoving his tongue in and humming his pleasure. Blaine was so close to coming, he had to grasp himself tightly and close his eyes – but that didn't work as well as he thought it would because all he could see with closed eyes was the last time he had fingered Kurt open. He held even tighter, willing himself to calm down. He took several deep breaths and forced his arms to stop shaking.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt...oh..." he babbled. It was a Kurt thing to babble like this, Blaine was usually more in control, and Kurt reveled in the fact that he had done that – taken Blaine by surprise and gave him such pleasure.

"Is it good for you, Blaine? Do you like what I'm doing to you?" Kurt whispered in his ear, excited by the lack of sense that was coming out of Blaine's mouth right now. It was mostly moans and breathy mentions of his name. Kurt loved it when Blaine called his name during sex.

Kurt might have taken Blaine by surprise, but he was still very mindful of what exactly was happening. He knew he had to heed the advice of Dr. Parsons in being gentle at this stage and making absolutely sure that Blaine was stretched enough to avoid tearing the fragile tissue. He took a breath and although he wanted to thrust and stroke into Blaine with wild abandon, he forced himself to be very gentle. He started to hum quietly into Blaine's ear, a calming, quiet tune meant to slow things down a bit. He never stopped stretching, massaging Blaine, asking with gestures if Blaine was still feeling good. Blaine was feeling more than good, he felt amazing. Each motion of Kurt's fingers was making him feel even better. It had stung for a moment, but not the burning he had experienced the first time Kurt had fingered him last summer. Now it was just good. No, amazing.

"Oh, baby...just keep doing that, don't stop...don't ever stop..." he begged, and Kurt kissed his temple, then his cheek.

"I won't, don't worry, I won't," he reassured Blaine, using his other hand to lay flat on the warm skin of his belly.

Blaine was running his hand along the inner part of Kurt's milky white thigh. He looked down at Kurt's legs, at first to make sure the sore one wasn't being pressured, but his eyes stayed there, running from elegant foot, up, up, up the long legs that went on forever to his perfectly shaped pink ass. Kurt was so beautiful, his creamy skin and taut muscles were so beautifully proportioned. His eyes were mesmerizing, his cheeks so soft and kissable with his elfin ears and cute nose. Blaine loved every part of Kurt.

The heat was swirling inside of him, but he refused to close his eyes. It would force him to concentrate on what Kurt was doing and he couldn't possibly stop himself from coming too soon. He needed a distraction, and one presented itself, almost right before his eyes: Kurt's cock was practically twitching, so he took it and placed a kiss on the side, eliciting a sigh from Kurt that turned into a moan as he licked up the shaft.

Kurt continued his tender massaging of Blaine's sphincter muscle until he deemed it was enough. Blaine was half in a trance by this time, licking at Kurt's cock and humming in pleasure.

"Are you ready?" Kurt whispered, drawing the fingers of his clean hand under Blaine's chin to bring him in closer for a soul-deep kiss.

Blaine blinked up at him, his golden brown eyes sparkling with stars as he locked onto Kurt's blue-gray gaze. He nodded his head, but gave Kurt a puzzled look, wondering what this new position might be that would give him leverage, but not put stress on his bad knee. Kurt smiled and pressed his hand against Blaine's chest until he was reclining on the bed. Kurt leaned in to kiss him, then turned him so Blaine's back was against Kurt's chest. Kurt got several pillows and placed them in front of Blaine for him to place his leg on, giving Kurt access.

Kurt took the tube of silicon lube and slicked quite a bit over his cock, lying on his side in back of Blaine and thrusting his hips forward so his cock was just resting against Blaine's entrance, He took a deep breath, leaning forward flush against Blaine for a moment and placing his hands on Blaine's hips.

"Are you ready?" he asked, and although he knew the answer, it was another jolt when Blaine pushed back and the next thing Kurt knew, he was inside. Even though he was only in a bare inch, it was just as amazing as Blaine had told him it would be and he grasped Blaine's hips tighter to balance himself as he pressed forward, slowly filling Blaine as he gasped in pleasure.

"Kurt...oh, my love...please, Kurt...don't stop, keep pushing, fill me baby..." Blaine whined, taking huge breaths and quivering in pleasure as Kurt continued to push. It was overwhelming as the beautiful feeling consumed him and he was calling out Kurt's name. Kurt was in as far as he could be, staying still just to take in the feeling when Blaine clenched his muscles – remembering how that felt when Kurt had done it – and was rewarded with a moan that shook the bed. Kurt pulled back, making sure there was still enough lubrication and slowly pushed in again, so slowly Blaine ran out of breath moaning.

"Oh, Kurt...is this what you felt? Oh, push harder this time, baby.." he said, eyes closed and his hands twisted in the pillow in front of him. Kurt was so afraid that he would tear Blaine, he was still going as slowly as possible – which made the process torture when all he wanted to do was thrust in as fast and hard as he could. He closed his eyes in concentration as he changed the angle a bit forward, this time coming in contact with the place he knew was the door to heaven, finding it right away and thrusting carefully as his cock came in contact with that place. Blaine came unglued, thrashing a bit as he tried to contain his emotions. "Oh, my stars, Kurt...do that again, right there, right there.." and Kurt did his best to make Blaine feel it with each thrust.

Kurt was getting close too quickly, he wanted this to last all night and into next week, it was so good. He slowed to a stop and Blaine looked over his shoulder at Kurt's face.

"Let's slow down, baby, just rest for a few minutes to make it last..." Kurt whispered, caressing Blaine's chest where his arm was holding him tightly. Blaine nodded and took another breath. He was able to reach in back of himself, running his hand down Kurt's hip. "Uh-hmmm" he hummed in agreement and stopped moving, just lying still and feeling Kurt inside him. They both relaxed a bit, but not nearly as long as they thought when their bodies decided to begin again, slowly pushing and pulling as the friction they craved was begun again. Blaine made a sound that started Kurt thrusting harder, and Blaine gave him an encouraging moan, wanting more.

Although he continued to be careful not to thrust too forcefully, Kurt was at a point that he couldn't slow down, and Blaine was appreciative as the familiar heat began to swirl in his belly. Kurt leaned forward once again, his hand curling around Blaine's stiff cock in question. Blaine nodded his head, so far gone that he couldn't form words. Kurt began to pump his cock, his hands already slick with lube, and Blaine's eyes went even bigger, moans and sounds tearing from his throat as he trembled for a second and came in great spurts of semen, calling Kurt to come with him. That was all it took: Kurt never stopped pumping Blaine or thrusting gently as he came hard, filling Blaine and slipping his arms around him in a tight hold.

"I love you, baby, I love you so much," Kurt said, kissing Blaine's neck as he held him, his hand spread over the left side of Blaine's chest where he could feel his heart beating.

"I love you, too, Kurt. More than my life," Blaine said back to him.

Half an hour later and the boys were cleaned up, having just gotten out of the shower. Kurt was sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard and his sore knee propped on a pillow. Blaine was sitting next to him, massage oil warmed and ready. Blaine had already taken care of Kurt's wound, which was healing nicely, and they had gotten a snack from room service, which was on a tray next to the bed. They had fed each other grapes and orange slices, along with buttered croissants and a carafe of apple juice.

"How is your knee feeling?" Blaine asked, stroking down Kurt's leg.

"It's kind of sore, but not bad. I was careful when we were...ah.." his eyes brightened as a grin came across his face and he locked eyes with his lover.

"Well, I'm going to massage it for you before we go to sleep, my love," Blaine said, pouring a little of the warm oil in his hands, then starting at the top of the thigh he had been admiring earlier, he moved down in gentle but firm strokes. Kurt settled a bit more into the mattress, wiggling into the bank of pillows to enjoy this pampering. Blaine had been doing this for quite a while and was very good at it by now. He teased the stiffness from all the muscles, starting with the quad going down the front of Kurt's thigh and working his way to the smaller muscles behind the knee.

"I think all the exercises you've been doing are really paying off. I can feel such an improvement in the tone of all of the muscles around your knee, it is amazing," Blaine said, smiling. Kurt smiled back.

"I owe that to you, baby. I don't think I could have continued to do them without your encouragement. We make a great team, you and I," Kurt said, reaching out to hold Blaine's hand.

"Come here," Kurt said, patting the bed in front of himself when Blaine was done. Blaine moved over and Kurt pulled him so his butt was right in front of him, his legs around Blaine's on the bed. He took the warm oil and spilled some into his own hands, smoothing it over Blaine's back, rubbing hard into the muscles of his shoulders. He was rewarded with a grateful sigh, Blaine melting into his hands. Kurt rubbed his back, then down each arm, paying close attention to his biceps – probably a bit more for his own sake than for Blaine's – and finally he massaged his hands, including the sore knuckles that had connected with Hank's face.

"I don't know how to say this, Blaine," Kurt started, allowing Blaine to pull away far enough that they could look into each other's faces. Blaine ran fingers down Kurt's cheek in encouragement, but he wasn't worried. He knew that whatever was troubling Kurt could be remedied, that between them there was an understanding that was above anything anyone could do to pull them apart. He leaned over to kiss Kurt briefly in solidarity and looked into his eyes in question.

Kurt sighed, so glad that Blaine understood.

"Blaine, I just wanted you to know how much I depend on you, how my life was nothing before you came into it. I wake up every day knowing it will be worth anything, because I am with you. I know how lucky I am to have you, and just that would be enough to make me happy for the rest of my life. But, Blaine...for you to share yourself with me as you did tonight? It is more than I can ever repay. All I can do is love you with all of my heart for the rest of my life," Kurt said, kissing Blaine thoroughly.

Tears were running down Blaine's face unchecked. What could he possibly say in return? Kurt had just summed up everything that was in his own heart. He just held on, pulling Kurt so close that he could hardly take a breath.

"Oh, my God in heaven, Kurt. I love you, too. With everything that I am, I love you. I know we're just kids, and nobody believes that we know what is real, but I know that what we have is real, and it will last our lifetimes. I don't have a ring, Kurt, or a romantic poem, or anything...but ….Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, will you marry me?" Blaine asked before he even knew that's what he was doing. He had no thought at all of doing such a thing, in some hotel room with no proper setting or prepared speech, he wasn't wearing a tuxedo or down on one knee, there were no fireworks or violins playing– but as soon as he saw Kurt's face, he knew he had done the Right Thing. The glow of happiness that came from Kurt's face was blinding and Blaine held him tighter, burying his face in Kurt's neck where he had found refuge a hundred times before.

"Yes, Blaine Devon Anderson, I will marry you."


	25. Chapter 25 - Philomath and Kent

"Hey, Kiddo!" Burt smiled as Kurt walked into his hospital room the next morning. Burt was dressed in his blue jeans, a new pair with no grease stains anywhere on them. He also had on the green and blue plaid shirt that Kurt and Blaine had given him for Father's day. It wasn't flannel, but the weather was warm and Burt knew the boys would be there to see him. Burt hugged his son, closing his eyes as he took in a breath: Kurt smelled like jasmine and just a hint of vanilla. To Burt it seemed like he missed that scent more than anything else when Kurt was gone.

"Dad, how are you feeling?" Kurt asked, stepping back from the embrace and straightening his vest.

"Fine. Well, a little antsy. I want to get out of here. But physically fine, and the doctor agrees. So, are you here alone to chauffeur me back to the hotel?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face. Kurt glanced at the door expectantly as they heard a noise.

"Nope, you get two escorts today, Burt," said Blaine as he came around the corner.

"Hey, Sport, glad to see you again!" Burt smiled, happy to see the boy he had become so fond of over the past year. "What brings you here? I thought Kurt came alone on Mr. Warner's helicopter."

"Well, I can't let him have all the fun, now can I?" Blaine said, looking at Kurt with those love-struck eyes of his. Burt smiled to himself.

"Do we need to do anything else or are we free to take you away?" Kurt asked, taking Blaine's hands in his when the younger boy slid his arms around Kurt's waist.

"Everything is signed and the insurance paperwork has been sent. I bet the bills make it back to Ohio before I do," Burt grumped. One look at his happy son and his smile came back.

Driving Burt's rental car, they were on their way to the garage and tire shop in Kent, a suburb just south of Seattle. Carole had waited in the car while Kurt and Blaine went in to get him but they were all due to meet the owner at the garage in half an hour. Carole was driving with Burt sitting next to her, their hands laced together over the console. At each stop sign she would look over at her husband and smile, then grip his hand tighter for a moment before returning her attention to driving.

Blaine and Kurt were in the back seat, Kurt leaning against Blaine's chest as he dozed. They had a late night and Kurt was still tired. His leg was aching and he was nursing a slight headache from all the wine. Blaine's arms were around Kurt's waist as he leaned back, his head on Blaine's shoulder, asleep. Blaine had fidgeted in the seat a few times. It was a bit uncomfortable to sit for a long time, but he was fine. Kurt had been so worried after last night's escapades he had made Blaine lie across his lap while he made sure he had done no damage. Blaine was a bit embarrassed, but thought it was very cute the way Kurt was playing mother hen to him this time. He smiled to himself at the memory, stroking Kurt's cheek and carding his fingers through his silky chestnut hair.

Kurt must be soundly asleep, he almost never allowed Blaine to touch his hair, so Blaine took full advantage and continued to run his fingers through it. The sun, while not directly in Kurt's face, was highlighting his long eyelashes as they were splayed across his cheeks. Blaine smiled when he thought how fitting Kurt's name was, because with those rosy cheeks and elfin face he did look like one of those German Hummel figurines.

Kurt's arms were crossed over his chest. His long, elegant fingers were resting against his upper arms. Blaine loved to look at Kurt's fingers. He could do so many things - play the piano, paint, draw, and write like an illuminating monk. He was so artistic in ways Blaine would never be. Blaine had his talents, they were just different than Kurt's. Burt looked in the back seat and saw Blaine, then smirked to himself when he thought about what Kurt was going to do when he woke up with his hair mussed up.

The car took a sharp turn and Kurt was suddenly forced back against Blaine. Kurt jerked awake, blinking and looking up at Blaine. He smiled as Blaine took his left hand in his own. Blaine was shorter than Kurt, more compact, but their hands were actually the same size. The boys placed their hands flat against each other, as if measuring them, and Kurt grinned up at Blaine. He laced their fingers together and rested them on his chest once again. After placing a small kiss on Kurt's temple, Blaine reached with his right hand and stroked across Kurt's eyebrow, which never failed to make him drowsy. He was back asleep in minutes.

Burt smiled at the scene in the back seat. "I used to do that when he was a baby, you know. Whenever he got fussy, I'd just brush his eyebrow, smooth it like that and he'd fall asleep. Did he tell you about that?" Burt asked.

"Yes. It's funny, he did it to me one day when I had been feeling bad, and it felt so soothing. Then I remembered my dad doing that when I was little. It must be a dad and son thing, you think?" Blaine asked Burt, returning his smile.

"I think so," Burt said, thinking about the days when Kurt was small. Some days he just missed his sweet little boy.

"I hope we can do it for our own son one day," Blaine said without thinking. Burt turned in his seat to look at Blaine, wondering if he had heard correctly. Blaine looked up at Burt's startled expression and blushed, his whole face turning red, and he looked out the window to study the cloud formations.

"Blaine? Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.

"Ah, no. Not without Kurt anyway. How close are we to Kent?" Blaine changed the subject abruptly and Burt let it go. If the boys had something to tell him, he'd hear about it soon enough. Blaine continued to look at the clouds and Burt turned to face front once again. Carole squeezed his hand and he smiled at her, happy for his son.

The inspection of the garage didn't take more than an hour. Blaine was standing next to the rental car with Carole, waiting for Burt and Kurt.

"Wow, are they going over it with a fine toothed comb?" Blaine asked, rolling his eyes in his best imitation of his boyfriend.

"Well, Burt's spent more time on this shop than he has on any other one we've looked at," Carole said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"What do you think about the move, Carole?" Blaine asked her.

"You know, I don't mind at all. Being a nurse, I can get work anywhere. I understand there are two hospitals near here: Valley Medical Center in Renton and Auburn General are both close enough to commute. And being close to my three sons? That is the best thing I can think of. I don't want to be in your hip pocket, but I just don't want half a continent between us," she said, looking for Blaine's reaction. She wasn't disappointed as he gave her a beautiful smile.

"Three sons?"

"Oh, Blaine. You know I think of you as one of my sons, don't you? I love you every bit as much as I love Kurt and Finn, honey," she said, and was surprised to find tears in Blaine's eyes. He brushed them away before they trailed down his cheeks, but the loud sniff gave him away. Carole smiled at the young man standing with her. He was a kind and responsible person and she could not think of a better match for Kurt. Blaine just seemed to be able to bring out the best in a boy that had been sad as long as she had know him. It was funny, she hadn't noticed that Kurt was such a melancholy boy until she saw the difference that came about as soon as Blaine entered his life. They had a lot to be thankful for, and Kurt finding Blaine was at the top of the list.

"I know you want to wait to talk about this with Kurt here, but can you tell me if the two of you have spoken about marriage yet?" she asked.

Blaine smiled. "Please don't say anything to Burt, Kurt wants to tell him – but we're engaged. I asked him last night. Oh, Carole, I just can't keep it in much longer – he said 'yes'!" Blaine's eyes shone with light, showing all of his joy and Carole couldn't help but take him into her arms and hug the stuffing out of him.

"I'm so happy for you, Blaine. So happy. We can keep this a secret for a while if you want, but please don't do it for too long, I can't wait to see Burt's face," Carole grinned. "Do you have rings yet?

"No, it was kind of sudden, you know?" Blaine confessed.

They stood together a little while longer, Blaine calming himself down and trying to wipe the huge grin off his face before Kurt and his father came out.

"I know this isn't any of my business, Blaine, but I want to ask something," she said, looking in his eyes. His eyebrows went up in question. "Is everything okay with you two? I mean, I know it is emotionally, but I did notice that Kurt was...kind of limping when he came into Burt's room the first day, and it wasn't due to his knee. Is he okay?"

Blaine blushed. "Ah, I don't think I should be talking to you about that. But to make you feel better, I will tell you that he has seen a doctor and he is fine. Nothing to worry about, okay?"

"Okay. I'll take your word that you are taking care of him. How is his knee?" Carole gave the young man a heartwarming smile.

"Oh, it is going according to plan. He does the physical therapy and rests it. Some days he spends several hours out of the brace, and he had it looked at while he's been in Seattle. They think it will heal just fine in time with no lingering damage. Although he'll probably always be able to tell when snow is on its way," Blaine forced a small smile, but it didn't go to his eyes. He still felt responsible for the accident.

"How is Burt really doing?" Blaine asked, thinking that if Carole could ask the hard questions, so could he.

"He's really doing fine. There was no heart attack this time, and all the tests showed no more damage to his heart at all. I just wanted to be careful, you know?" she said.

"That's good. I'm really happy you are going to move out here. I think Kurt and Finn will be so much more content having you close. I kind of like the idea myself, you know," Blaine smiled at Carole. He really liked her, although he'd not spent a lot of time alone with her when he spent his year in Lima.

Kurt came out of the building, his arm linked with his father's, and walked up to Blaine and Carole. Burt had a smile on his face and his eyes were shining as he made the announcement:

"Well, I think this is it, Carole. I am going to call our lawyer when I get home and we can sign the papers next week. I need to see what we can do about selling the place in Ohio – and we will become residents of the Great Northwest!"

Kurt hugged his father, thrilled to see him this happy. It was going to be great to have him so close. Everyone started talking at once, and they got back in the car, headed back to Seattle to pick up Puck and Finn and head out to dinner.

The boys were all in Kurt's Navigator. Finn and Puck had driven it out to Philomath from Lima right after graduation, filled with all the clothes and articles they could pack in the back. They had driven up to Seattle when Carole called them about Burt.

Once again, Kurt and Blaine were in the backseat of the vehicle, but this time it was Blaine who was asleep, leaning on Kurt. Kurt was in a discussion with Puck about house rules if he was going to live in their house. The house was plenty large enough for all of them, it had five bedrooms, so Kurt was trying to establish the possibility of Puck's employment to pay his share. For Puck's part, he mentioned loudly – several times so as to get his point across – that he wanted a room as far from "those loud lovebirds as possible because he needed his rest". Kurt smacked him good-naturedly, but could not keep the grin off of his face.

"I applied at several places, plus I found there are a lot of pools here, so I was going to go ahead and try to get some gigs cleaning them," Puck defended himself. He always felt like he was not quite up to par with all these guys in the social aspects of their lives.

"I know, and that's fine, Noah. I'm not really worried about the money as much as I am about what you plan to do with the rest of your life," Kurt bickered back. He was losing patience.

"I just haven't made a decision," Puck said.

"There is no reason why you can't take some classes at the local community college. I know you struggled a bit in high school, but it wasn't because you aren't intelligent. It's because you're lazy. Not physically lazy - god knows you can work hard when you need to – but schoolbook lazy. You're going to have to get over that if you want to get ahead," Kurt continued. This time his rant woke Blaine up.

Blaine looked at Puck for a moment and gave him a secret wink.

He yawned and stretched his arms up, grasping Kurt around his neck and pulling him down for a passionate kiss. This was distracting enough that Puck gave Blaine a wink when he came up for air, and Puck turned around to talk to Finn.

Entering the house they would all soon be sharing, Kurt and Blaine went to look at the rooms to decide which one they wanted. Finn had the large one next to the kitchen and Puck had asked for the one at the end of the hall on the first floor with a small private patio. Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him up the stairs, down the hallway to the large room in the southeast corner.

"This one not only has morning sun, but there are French doors out to a balcony big enough for a small table and two chairs so we can eat our breakfast out there on warm mornings," Blaine told him.

"Oh, that is so romantic, Blaine. I love it!" Kurt threw his arms around Blaine and they danced around the large room. There was a fireplace on the opposite wall and an alcove near the south window for a desk.

"And wait until you see this!" Blaine said, dragging Kurt over to double doors at the far end of the room. He threw them open to reveal a huge closet. Next to it was the door to the small en suite bathroom. Kurt could not stop grinning as each part was revealed to him. This was like a dream come true.

"So, why didn't I see this when we came to look at the house the first time?" Kurt asked, trying to recall that day in more detail.

"Because while you were checking out the kitchen and pantry, I was up here looking over the rooms. Then I distracted you so you wouldn't come up that set of stairs. There is another set of stairs that goes to the rest of the upstairs rooms. The landlord told me about this while you were busy. He usually rents it separately, but I talked him into letting us have the whole house since we were willing to sign a four year lease. I let Finn know we wanted this one and he was fine with it. Oh, there's one more part..." Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him out the door of the bedroom to the next room along the hall. He opened the door and Kurt gasped. It was beautiful: a large room, though not quite as large as the bedroom, but the entire southern wall was windows. The bright sunlight came in and showed off the beautiful golden oak floors. In the middle of the room was a drafting table and chair, a desk next to that and shelves and cupboards filled the north and west walls. There were those new kind of blinds that are part of the windows and operated on switches for when the sun might be too much.

"Oh, Blaine...I could draw my designs in here, I could work on fashion or anything – I could paint!" Kurt's eyes were wide and his smile made Blaine's heart pound in his chest. He loved seeing Kurt like this. "And there is so much room. We could have a music studio for you with a piano, guitar stands with all kinds of guitars. It would be so nice for the two of us."

"Oh, I'm so glad you like it!" Blaine crowed, taking Kurt's hand once again and bringing it to his lips, he kissed it. They looked into each other's eyes for a long time, then Kurt began to hum a song. He took Blaine in a warm embrace and started dancing across the bare floor, singing to him:

_For all those times you stood by me  
For all the truth that you made me see  
For all the joy you brought to my life  
For all the wrong that you made right  
For every dream you made come true  
For all the love I found in you  
I'll be forever thankful baby  
You're the one who held me up  
Never let me fall  
You're the one who saw me through through it all_

You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly  
You touched my hand I could touch the sky  
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me  
You said no star was out of reach  
You stood by me and I stood tall  
I had your love I had it all  
I'm grateful for each day you gave me  
Maybe I don't know that much  
But I know this much is true  
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me

You were always there for me  
The tender wind that carried me  
A light in the dark shining your love into my life  
You've been my inspiration  
Through the lies you were the truth  
My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me

You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me 

"Oh, Kurt. Thank you. We should make time to dance together every day, I love it so much. I love you so much," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear as they twirled across the oaken floor.

"I love you, too, my sweetheart, and I would love to dance with you every day for the rest of our lives."

_The next morning._

"Wow, those sofas were not exactly comfortable!" Kurt complained. Blaine nodded his head. Their bedroom furniture was coming today, but they had to make do with the sofas in the main room last night.

"I think that is all we need to do before we go back to camp, right?" Blaine asked. He had not minded shopping for the bed and other things for their bedroom, but he really didn't want to waste one more day away from his little sanctuary in the mountains. He wanted to be alone with Kurt and not share him for one more minute. Kurt was now running around the kitchen, baking something or other to take back with them. Blaine needed to call Lenore so she could send the helicopter for them tomorrow. It was going to be a busy day tomorrow, so Blaine needed to do some things today to tie up a few loose strings.

"Kurt, since you're in the middle of baking, I'm going to have Finn go with me to the store to get a few last minute items, okay?" Blaine said, hugging Kurt to his chest as he leaned over to give Kurt a chaste kiss.

"Oh, it won't wait?" Kurt looked disappointed.

"I just want to get it over with because I thought we might want to go to the beach before we leave?" he asked. Kurt nodded. "I'll be back soon," Blaine promised.

"Puck! Hurry up!" Kurt said. "Are they gone?"

"Yes, I just heard them pull away. Let's go. I have the use of the landlord's car for two hours."

"Let me grab my wallet..."

Later that morning, Blaine came in sniffing the air. He could smell vanilla and something...maybe almond? It was heavenly.

On the dining table, lunch was waiting: a salad made of wedges of iceberg lettuce, covered with chopped Roma tomatoes, candied pecans, diced tart apples, and covered with Gorgonzola cheese dressing. There was a plate of fresh scones with blueberries and butter and glasses of apple juice. Blaine joined Finn and Puck at the table just as Kurt came in from the kitchen with a plate of poached salmon, lemon wedges and capers sprinkled across the top.

Blaine jumped to his feet, taking the platter from Kurt so he could use his cane to better advantage. Kurt smiled at his fiancé, sitting down as Blaine set the fish on the table.

"Oh, this looks so delicious!" Puck said, grinning at Kurt. "I might not miss my grandma so much after all."

"Oh, I bet you will," Kurt rejoined. "Although I do have a lot of her recipes. Maybe we can have her out to visit?"

"She might really like that, great idea," Puck said.

"Do you really have to go back to your cabin for the rest of the summer?" Finn asked.

"Yes. Absolutely." Blaine and Kurt said at the same time, then looked at each other and laughed.

"Okay, I get it. We'll miss you, bro," Finn smiled at Kurt, but he knew it was important to them that they have the rest of the time together at Blaine's cabin. His brother had been through hell and back this past year, so Finn was okay with him doing this. He'd just miss him, but there was a whole four years of college for them to experience together. Finn would just have to be patient, and besides - -he had Puck, his best friend, here with him.

They ate the meal together in happy silence. At the end of the meal they all complemented Kurt. The other three boys helped with the dishes, making Kurt sit on the sofa to rest his leg.

"Kurt?" Blaine said, sitting on the edge of the sofa cushion where Kurt was resting, his leg propped up on a pillow to give it more support.

"Oh, Blaine...sorry, I must have dozed off a little. Come here," Kurt whined, holding his arms out to Blaine, who leaned into them immediately. They just sat, holding each other for a while before Puck came in.

"Hey, aren't you two ready to go yet?" he asked.

"Yes, just let me get my brace back on and my shoes," Kurt said, shifting a bit so he could reach the straps on the leg brace that he had loosened for his nap.

Blaine started to help him, but Puck laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll help with this, Blaine, you go get changed," Puck said.

"Hey, Kurt. Is this tight enough?" Puck asked as he worked with the leather straps.

"Yeah, perfect," Kurt said, pulling his jeans leg straight so the next strap wouldn't bunch the fabric.

"Ah, I'm not sure how to ask this, and I really don't want details...but how are you doing...ah...back there?" Puck asked as he looked into Kurt's eyes with deep concern.

"Oh, that..ah, it's fine. Almost healed up. Noah, I did want to thank you for helping me that night. I might not have voiced it at the time, but it meant a lot to me that you didn't run away screaming, you know? Not that you would. I guess what I'm trying to say is: thank you for being so accepting of me," Kurt said and put his hand on the back of Puck's hand.

"I know you know I'm gay, but knowing I have that label and then seeing...ah...first hand shall we say? -what that actually means – well, that's a big step and I am so thankful I have a friend like you," Kurt said.

"No problem, dude. I think it's living with my grandma now that made me change the way I think. She went through a lot in her lifetime and she has taught me so much about accepting other people, well, you know. Just next time, I don't want to know the details, ah, quite so intimately. Deal?" Puck said, finishing the buckling of the brace on Kurt's leg and helping him to stand. He pulled Kurt into a big embrace, patting his back, and Kurt squeezed him back.

"It's good to have such friends, Noah, and I'm so happy you're going to live with us."

The ride to the beach was fun, all four boys chatting the whole way, discussing what classes they wanted to take, what opportunities there were for fun in the tiny town.

Arriving at the beach, Kurt got out and Blaine immediately took his hand. He was still a little apprehensive about Kurt coming here so close to where he'd had his accident, but it didn't seem to bother Kurt at all and he was soon walking down the beach, enjoying the ocean breeze. Finn and Puck spotted a group of girls sunbathing and went to get friendly, so the couple was left alone to walk down the beach by themselves.

Around a rocky formation, Kurt and Blaine lost sight of their friends but kept walking. There were a few scrubby bushes and some driftwood around the far side of the boulders and Blaine went towards them to find a comfortable place to sit. He found a wide place on a driftwood log and sat, pulling Kurt down into his lap.

"We can come here on the weekends and have picnics, I think," Kurt said, smiling into Blaine's face.

"Sounds like a plan. Are you okay being here – I mean, after your accident and all," Blaine asked.

"Oh, that doesn't bother me. It could have happened anywhere. Let's not talk about that. I am so much better, and I will continue to improve. Now, since I'm here anyway...kiss me," Kurt said, cuddling closer.

Blaine was more than willing to kiss Kurt. He'd been thinking about it for hours and they had exchanged small kisses in the back seat of the Navigator as Finn drove them to the beach. Blaine was now sitting with his nose buried in Kurt's neck as usual, it was his favorite cuddling pose. Sitting with Kurt, he could smell the wonderful scent of jasmine and vanilla that seemed to seep from Kurt's pores. It was intoxicating.

As they sat together, Blaine sat up to look up and down the beach. There wasn't anyone around, so he felt at ease and held Kurt maybe a bit too close and kissed his mouth. Lips were gently pressed together and breaths were taken, eyes closed and hearts pounded. Blaine pulled back to look at Kurt's face, trying to read what his boyfriend was thinking. Kurt's eyes were bright, the shades of blue from pale cornflower through royal blue to midnight swirled together in distinct patches and closer to the pupil there were bursts of sunshine yellow brightening to daffodil and gold. It was like a painter picked the tubes of paint he loved the best and put little dots of them in the pallet, then dipped his brush in each one, swirling it onto the page that was Kurt's eyes. Blaine would have loved Kurt's eyes if they were muddy gray but the expressive colors, like a watercolor by a famous impressionist, were the most beautiful things Blaine had ever seen.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked when his boyfriend had spent a long time just staring into his eyes.

"Oh, yes, Kurt...I was just looking at the colors in your eyes. Sorry, did you ask me something?" Blaine blushed, surprised at getting caught in his silent worship.

"No, I was just concerned. You know you have beautiful eyes yourself. That honey rich brown the color of hazelnuts with just a hint of moss green around the outside. They turn dark when you're aroused and the color concentrates into a dark toffee brown, but still rich and deep. The green all but disappears as your irises get smaller and your pupils dilate. Looking into your eyes then – oh, Blaine, I can't tell you what it does to me. The warmth that flows over me, making me want to strip away our clothes so I can feel every single inch of your skin against mine. Waiting until you touch me and it pulls those sounds from my throat. Blaine, the sounds I can't make on my own, the ones that only come when you draw them with your fingers, your mouth..." Kurt was done talking and his mouth was on Blaine's once again, his tongue soft in Blaine's mouth dancing and swirling as his lips were pressed tightly to stop the moans from escaping into the cool air.

Blaine was trying to get some oxygen, taking air in through his now inadequate nostrils. The breathing only got worse when Kurt's hands ran under his shirt, pulling it up so he could feel the warm skin and the tight muscles that held in Blaine's faithfully beating heart. Kurt placed his hand over that heart, feeling it pound in the same rhythm as the waves that were beginning to pound the shore as they sat in the lee of the rocks.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's ribcage, bringing their bodies as close together as he could possibly get them.

"Oh, Kurt, my Kurt, my love...we'll be together forever, won't we?" he asked as he pulled back just far enough to be able to focus on those blue and gold eyes to see the answer. He found it there, so it was only a reinforcement of the truth when Kurt spoke.

"Yes, Blaine. Because I cannot live without you. I _**will not**_ live without you," he whispered into Blaine's ear and laid his head on his shoulder, still holding tightly as his breath started to calm down. Blaine looked at Kurt, seeing only his profile now, and kissed his cheek softly.

"And I can't live without you, either, Kurt," as he stroked down the tender skin on the under side of his forearm on his way to brushing across the pulse in his wrist and holding Kurt's hand.

They stayed there together, Kurt sitting on Blaine's lap and then moving so they were side by side on the large piece of driftwood and just talked about everything. The house, the plans for school, the future together. It was sweet and intimate in a way nothing else could be. Time rocked on and eventually they heard Puck and Finn calling them from beyond the rocks.

Blaine steadied Kurt on his leg and they walked back toward the larger beach to their brother and friend. Hand in hand the moved on to the place where Kurt's SUV was parked and they got in and went home.

Early the next morning, the helicopter landed in the dead end street that ran along the south side of the house. Lenore got out, first hugging Blaine and Kurt in a very platonic way, then giving Finn a huge hug that left him wide eyed and blushing. She turned to Puck with a smile and her hand out to shake. The boys laughed as Puck's eyes got big and Lenore hugged him, too. Kurt and Blaine exchanged knowing glances and Kurt rolled his eyes as they turned to get on the helicopter. Blaine settled next to Kurt, his arms going around Kurt's waist after securing their seat belts and they waited for Lenore, smiling at each other. In a little over an hour, they would be home in the little cabin where it all started. Together.


	26. Chapter 26 - To Hurt and Heal

It was a scary ride on the helicopter, the wind was blowing hard and it felt like they were being whipped around like a piece of paper. Blaine was holding Kurt tightly, but it wasn't as close as they wanted given they were strapped to their seats. The pilot came down several times before he was able to actually land the aircraft, and the passengers unbuckled and were ready to disembark a few minutes later.

Cookie had walked to the helipad not far from the cook house and put his huge arms up to take Kurt from Blaine's hold on him. Finally on the ground, Kurt thanked Cookie and heaved a sigh of relief then turned to make sure Blaine was okay.

Blaine jumped from the helicopter, grinning as he landed on the dirt and rolled into a standing position, bowing as if he was a circus performer. He helped the pilot to tie the 'copter down and then he and Kurt hurried off to the shelter of the cook house.

"I have some lunch set aside for you punkins," Shannon smiled, setting down two plates of food and coming back again with glasses of milk.

"How have you been?" Blaine asked, grinning up at his old friend.

"Oh, fair to middlin" she allowed. "How was the trip? Your dad okay now, Kurt?"

"Yes, it was a bit of a false alarm. We took the extra time to go see the house in Philomath and order the furniture for next fall," Kurt said.

"I'm just glad to be back on home turf, to tell you the truth," Blaine said. He looked tired, but had a sweet smile on his face.

Shannon's pocket was moving, and she adjusted her apron so the pocket was closer to her lap, giving it more stability. Pretty soon a tiny face was seen, peering over the edge of the pocket. JayJay was sniffing and Shannon took him out of her pocket to hand to Blaine. She nodded at a plate with apples in the middle of the table and took one, cutting a small wedge and peeling it, then cutting it in tiny pieces. Blaine was happy to take the little flying squirrel out of her hands and cuddle him. Kurt took a piece of the apple and held it in front of JayJay and tiny paws came up to grab it and the tiny animal began chewing the apple. Kurt reached over to smooth the fur along his back.

"Oh, he looks so cute!" Kurt said, winking at Shannon. "Looks like he hasn't missed any meals, either. Boy, he's growing fast."

The boys played with him for a bit, then started to get up to walk back to the cabin, but Shannon held out her hands.

"Can he stay here for a while? I brought his cage up here when you left, and we've gotten to be good friends," she pleaded.

"Sure, that's fine. Maybe we'll come visit in the morning," Blaine said.

"Okay, I'll see you then. I was going to make cinnamon rolls if you want to eat here," she offered and both boys accepted the kind invitation.

Blaine and Kurt had taken all the bags and luggage back to the cabin, including a paper sack that Blaine had stapled shut and kept an eye on all through the trip home. He wouldn't allow Kurt to touch it, which just made Kurt's curiosity peak. There had been begging and denial all the way home and Kurt was determined to find out Blaine's secret.

Once home, they piled all the things in the tiny cabin and started setting them away where they belonged. Clothes were folded and set in trunks, personal items put away, and the mysterious paper sack was hidden away in the kitchen cupboard when Blaine thought Kurt wasn't looking.

It had been a long flight and both of the boys were tired, so they decided to take a short nap before thinking about what to have for dinner.

"Hey, you," Kurt called, watching Blaine removing his jacket and hanging it up.

He turned to see what Kurt wanted and was met with a naked boyfriend, lying on the feather bed.

"How did you get undressed so quickly?" Blaine asked as he hurried over, unbuttoning his shirt to catch up. Kurt just laughed and rolled over on his tummy, is legs bent at the knees and feet in the air in a carefree pose as he leaned his chin on his hands.

Blaine was undressed and dragging Kurt under the sheets in a matter of moments, his arms around his boyfriend in a tight embrace.

"All I could think of on the way home was getting you under these sheets so I could have you all to myself, baby," Kurt cooed at Blaine, planting a kiss on his nose.

Blaine smiled. He'd had the same dream and now he had the reality.

"Okay, baby, let's just hold each other for a while. I want to feel you next to me," Blaine said, snuggling closer. Kurt was all for any kind of cuddling if it included Blaine, so he put his arms around his boyfriend and kissed him very softly on the lips. It was still amazing to him that Blaine, who never did one ounce of preventative moisturizing or any other kind of skin care other than washing, always had soft lips. Kurt had to struggle to maintain his soft skin. Some things in life were just not fair, but since Kurt was actually the beneficiary of Blaine's soft skin, he wasn't complaining.

Blaine started off just cuddling. It was his sole intention when he got into bed and pulled Kurt close. It was, really! But things happen, and quite soon his fingers were walking down Kurt's muscular back to trace patterns along Kurt's waist. These random patterns began to grow larger, moving past Kurt's waist and onto his hip, trailing down to the top of his thigh. It was all Kurt could do not to giggle. He knew Blaine well enough to know he would never be able to limit himself to just cuddling when there was so much uncovered skin involved.

"Ah, Blaine?" Kurt smirked, burying his face in Blaine's neck so he couldn't see the corners of Kurt's mouth turning up in a grin.

"What, baby?" Blaine pretended to be sleepy, as if his fingers had a mind of their own and were off doing things he was unaware of. Kurt was not fooled.

"Ah...what are you doing with your fingers? I thought we were cuddling?" Kurt asked.

"Ah..oh...well...oh? I didn't realize I was doing that, I was almost asleep. Now, quit pestering me. I'm tired," Blaine said, trying for innocence.

"Blaine Devon Anderson. Are you serious? Do you actually expect me to believe that?" Kurt laughed out loud.

"Hey, now. How do you know that isn't true?" Blaine asked, looking hurt. His lower lip stuck out like a pouting child and Kurt took the opportunity to kiss Blaine, sucking that pouting lip into his own mouth and capture it between his teeth. Blaine gasped just a little.

Instead of answering Kurt verbally, he brought his hips forward, thrusting towards Kurt and getting a very rewarding gasp in return. Kurt's eyes got big, apparently he did not realize the extent of Blaine's sincerity.

"I'm actually pretty sure that 'sleepy' is not an adjective that pertains to your present state, Mr. Anderson," Kurt said, trying not to giggle like a little girl. He did not succeed.

Blaine thrust his hips forward again and Kurt turned a bit to bring himself into contact with Blaine. Their erections were rubbing closely together and both boys were losing their ability to think up witty jokes to tease each other. The desire to be funny was quickly going out the window and Kurt rushed forward to place his lips on Blaine's and kiss him some more. They kissed for quite some time, until their lips were swollen and red. They continued to rub their skin together, but gently as they felt the tingling of promise the contact held. Neither one of them was in any hurry and the slow building of excitement was so often better in the long run than immediate, hurried frenzy. Of course, there was nothing wrong with frenzy once in a while, and Kurt and Blaine had their share of that, too.

Kurt was kissing down Blaine's neck, licking softly at the part that was so sensitive and caused chills to spring all the way down Blaine's back and arms. He would lick a wide swipe across the tender flesh, then blow on it, just to see Blaine scrunch up his neck and the goosebumps appear.

"Owww...Kurt, stop it...don't...stop," Blaine whined.

"Are you saying 'stop it, don't do that' or are you saying, 'don't stop it...'?" Kurt asked, grinning.

"Ah...both?" Blaine blushed. He was feeling silly, and part of him was enjoying the ticklish attention Kurt was lavishing on him, but part of him didn't want to be tickled when there were so many other things to do now that they were alone.

Kurt laughed. "Well, if you don't know, I can stop for now but come back to it later...maybe on another part of your anatomy?" he said suggestively. Blaine leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"So, since we're not doing the whole kissing thing anymore...what's in the secret paper bag you brought home? You took care of it like it was your newborn baby, so I'm a bit curious. What is in the bag?" Kurt begged in a whine. Blaine rolled his eyes.

"I'm not telling, and if I catch you anywhere near that cupboard, I swear...I'll...I'll...I'll SPANK YOU!" Blaine said, then looked at Kurt, as surprised as Kurt was at what he had said.

Kurt just stared, turned white, then red.

"Blaine. You will not. You would never do that! And besides, you couldn't catch me – or hold me down long enough to do such a thing," Kurt said.

"Oh, yes I can. But we'll never know because you would never go and look after I asked you not to," Blaine returned.

"Well that might have been true before you threatened me, but now all bets are off. I feel no reason to stop my curiosity if you are going to issue threats, Mr. Anderson," Kurt said with as much dignity as a naked person can conjure while lying in bed with their tormentor's arms wrapped around them.

Blaine started to laugh, and Kurt got up. He was limping still on the bad knee, but walked over as if to get a glass of water.

"Can I get you some water, Blaine?" he asked.

"Please," Blaine answered, looking out the window at the waning afternoon sun.

Kurt got the water bottles out, but since Blaine was preoccupied, he sidled over to the mysterious cupboard. He wasn't actually going to look at the bag, just open the cupboard to tease Blaine. He put his fingers on the handle and began to open the cupboard when Blaine turned and saw him.

"Kurt! How dare you!" he shouted and jumped from the bed, grabbing Kurt around the waist and picking him up. He hauled him over to the settee and sat down, Kurt on his lap.

Kurt thought it was a joke, and to be fair, Blaine did, too. However, Blaine was much stronger than Kurt in the arms and upper chest since he had been training to be a boxer for so many years, and he didn't realize his own strength. He pulled Kurt over his lap, bottom up and pulled back his arm. He spanked the struggling Kurt on his perfect pink ass, leaving bright red handprints.

"I told you not to look in the bag, Kurt. I warned you..." Blaine said, kidding his friend. Kurt struggled, but to no avail and Blaine spanked him several times before giving up and letting go.

Kurt jumped back, scratching and clawing, and his voice had gone down to a low growl.

"You might find that funny, Blaine...but I do not," Kurt snapped. He walked as well as he could over to the bed where he'd left his clothes and pulled on his jeans, shirt, and shoes. He grabbed his jacket before Blaine realized what was going on.

"Oh...no, Kurt, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you, are you okay?" Blaine asked, desperate to make it right. "Wait a minute...we can talk about this, can't we? I just made a stupid move...Really, I was just kidding around!"

Kurt grabbed his cane and walked out of the cabin, slamming the door. He had done this before – the day he found out Blaine had hidden the truth about his dad. That day had been one of the worst of his life when Porter and Chase had locked him in that shed and tried to get the bounty from turning him in. Blaine had rescued him that day and he had been so grateful. Here he was again, but this time everyone in camp knew him and he was there at Mr. Warner's approval, so he was safe. He was also angry and embarrassed. How could Blaine have done that humiliating thing to him? His ass was burning where Blaine had hit him. He leaned heavily on the cane, he hadn't wanted to stop and put the brace on, but now he really wished he had. His leg hurt, his ass hurt...and he wondered if his injury had opened up again since he thought he could feel something wet going down the inside of his leg.

Blaine was scrambling to get his clothes on, scared that Kurt would never forgive him. He had just been kidding and now he was in deep trouble. Kurt had been angry at him before, over things that made no sense to Blaine, but he knew Kurt had a volatile temper and he was usually so careful. He forgot sometimes how strong he was and it was unfair of him to take advantage of Kurt in terms of using brute strength. He had to go find Kurt. Now.

Kurt was tired. Whenever they left the cabin, they headed south towards the places where they either fished or snared rabbits. Or they headed east towards the cook house. To the west was the river and he had no idea what was north of the cabin, he'd never been there. So.. north it was. He walked along the path for a while, but it was hard going. It looked like nobody had walked here for a long time. He made slow progress, and was cursing Blaine for making him so angry. Then he was cursing himself an hour later when his leg hurt so badly he had to stop. He had been exercising the leg, and it had improved an amazing amount considering how extensive the damage was. This was a pleasant thought if Kurt were sitting on the settee, calmly considering it while drinking a cup of hot tea and eating cinnamon rolls. But he wasn't. Kurt was struggling to put one foot in front of the other as he walked down a strange path in the middle of the Oregon wilderness, chilled and hungry and his leg throbbing in pain with each step, and it had started to rain. Kurt hadn't been in Oregon for a whole year yet, but he was very well acquainted with the rain. It rained all the time. He had on a weatherproof jacket, but his pants and shoes were wet. The rain was drizzling down his neck and into his shirt. It wasn't terribly cold, but when he got wet, Kurt got cold. And miserable.

He saw a boulder and hurried to it to sit down and take some pressure off of the leg. The rock was cold and hard, but it felt good to get the weight off the sore knee. Kurt decided to be still for a while and just think about all the stupidness of this day. He got angry when Blaine had only been doing exactly what he said he would...spank Kurt if he tried to get in the cupboard. Kurt had gone over and was quite obviously opening the cupboard, just to make a joke. That was the problem right there, they did not make sure first that both of them were kidding, a total lack of communication. Kurt sighed. As soon as he felt a bit rested, he would start back.

Half an hour later, Kurt was rested enough to start back. He looked around and although he felt a bit disoriented, he started walking the way he had come, even though most of the forest had gone back to its pristine condition when Kurt passed through it. He was a bit unsure of which way to go, and the dense forest gave him no opportunity to look at the sun to see which direction he was headed.

It was getting dark once again, Kurt was lost in the forest because of his own stupidity and bad temper. He was only wearing his light jacket and he was getting chilly.

Blaine was feeling terrible. He really felt it was his fault that Kurt was gone. He had meant it all in fun, but maybe he'd been too rough. Kurt hadn't been brought up in the camp and sometimes Blaine thought of Kurt as being like a hothouse flower, delicate and fragile. Of course, Kurt was much tougher than that, considering the awful things he had endured, but Blaine wasn't thinking of those right now. All he knew was that he was positive Kurt would not go to the cook house to share his humiliation with Cookie and Shannon, or Lenore for that matter. He had gone down the trail to the rabbit snares last fall when he ran, so Blaine thought he probably wouldn't go there. And north was not a place Kurt had ever been, so it was also less likely. Okay, that left west toward the river.

Blaine, dressed for the weather and carrying a bag with essentials in it, started towards the river. He always carried an emergency kit with a space blanket, a change of clothes, venison jerky, matches, fuel in the form of sterno cakes, among other things. They had taken this same backpack on a picnic last week so there was a tube of silicon lubricant, just in case. It was deep in the canyon and he was pretty sure Kurt would not try to cross it. He was angry, not insane. But he might walk down it, so that was the direction he went.

After calling Kurt's name for a long time, he gave that up. Kurt might just become silent at the sound of his name because he was angry and might not want to be found yet. Blaine shut his mouth and just walked, looking for any sign of his boyfriend. No, his fiancé. That brought a tear to his eye, but it didn't make it down his cheek.

He didn't find any prints or anything for a long time, then he saw the last thing he wanted to see: blood. And the realization hit him: what if in his exuberance to spank Kurt, he burst open the injury that was healing. Didn't Kurt say the doctor had warned him about keeping safe since the damned thing could split open again so easily? And Blaine had struck him. He sank to the dirt and closed his eyes. Was there no end to the damage he would cause Kurt? First, he lied about Burt knowing about the train and all that. He let him get caught by Porter and Chase. The accident with the kite at the beach – from which Kurt was still healing. The man, Hank, that tried to seduce Kurt when he was drunk because Blaine had not been able to go with Kurt to Seattle to begin with, and now this. Blaine was a menace to Kurt's well-being and when he found him, he would get him back to Ohio and his family and Blaine would just disappear from his life.

There was nothing else, no more blood spots, no footprints, nothing. Blaine didn't have that foreboding feeling, but he could not rule out Kurt landing in the river and drowning for any number of reasons. This was too much to bear.

"Hey, who's there?" A voice called into the forest from the porch of a cabin. Kurt stopped for a second, studying why this man's voice might be familiar. He couldn't place it, but walked forward when the vague memory failed to come up with any animosity. Kurt was dizzy and hurting and soaked to the skin in the cool evening air. He shivered and thought for a moment before answering the question he'd heard from the vicinity of the porch.

"That depends, who's asking?" Kurt asked.

"August Waverly. I work for Warner Lumber and you're on private property. I can steer you back to where you came from if you'd like, but you're not welcome here," the voice said.

"That's too bad, Auggie, because I could sure use some help," Kurt said, his voice going higher as his fear lessened.

"Kurt? Kurt Hummel? What the hell are you doing here?" August asked, walking quickly into the forest to guide Kurt the last hundred yards into the clearing around his cabin.

"Oh, you are a sight for sore eyes, August. I am so glad to see you!" Kurt said as he fell into the big man's embrace.

"Kurt, are you okay?" August asked as Kurt went limp in his arms.

"Where am I?" Kurt asked, trying to look around the tiny cabin and trying to establish where he was. At first he thought he was back in Blaine's cabin, but the bed was all wrong and the fireplace was on the wrong wall. He was cold and achy all over, but there was a warm blanket wrapped around him and he didn't feel too bad.

"You, my friend, are in my cabin taking up space and snoring like a boxer puppy," Auggie said from the table across the small, dim room.

"Oh? How did I get here? The last thing I remember, I was walking through the forest, trying to find a place to see the sunset so I'd know what direction I was headed," Kurt answered.

"Well, you stumbled into my yard and said you needed help and promptly fainted. Wanna tell me what's up?" he asked.

"No. Well, Blaine and I had an argument, but it was over something stupid. I lost my temper and started walking, didn't put my leg brace on, and now I feel awful. I don't know why I fainted, just stress, I guess. Is it okay if I stay with you until morning, Auggie?" Kurt asked, shivering in spite of the fact that it was the middle of summer. The weather wasn't too bad, but at this altitude it got cold at night and Kurt had been soaking wet for hours.

Just as he got up and walked to the bench where August was sitting, there was a knock at the door.

August went to answer, thinking to himself that his little out of the way cabin was turning into Grand Central Station of the forest. He opened the door and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Blaine standing there.

"Hey, August. I was just looking..." Blaine started, but August interrupted him.

"He's here. Wait a second..." and he gently pushed Blaine back as he left the cabin and pulled the door shut behind himself. They stood on the porch, the rain coming down steadily but they were dry under the roof of the porch.

"Is he okay?" Blaine asked, clearly upset.

"Yeah, I think so for now. What the hell happened, kid? I was sitting out here, just relaxing and watching the rain when I saw somebody walking, I thought they were drunk the way they were stumbling. I mean, really unsteady. I called out to say this was private property, but it was Kurt and he sounded...lost? Anyway, he said he needed help, I went to see and he passed out in my arms. He's been asleep for over an hour, then wakes up to tell me you two were fighting," August summed up the evening.

"Oh. Well, yes, we did have a fight. It was stupid on my behalf.." Blaine admitted, ducking his head as if he was ashamed.

"That is exactly what Kurt said. That it was stupid on his part. I think you two need to talk. I would just let this go, but you two are teenagers and forgive me for saying so, Blaine, but you are both a little...ah...dramatic?" Auggie said.

"You're telling me. Yes, I am aware of that. I came to see if I could talk him into coming home."

"Blaine, take my advice here. That kid is in no shape to traipse back to your cabin in the rain in the night on that bad leg. He isn't wearing his brace and it looks like he fell, probably more than once. I tell you what. I don't think it would do you any good to try and make nice here with three of us in the cabin, so I'll give you two options. Either I can loan you my mule to get back to your cabin or I can ride over there to stay the night and you can stay here with Kurt. Which way do you want to play this?" August smiled an encouraging smile at his friend. He felt sorry for the kid, but this was something he'd have to figure out on his own.

"You sure you don't mind going to my cabin, Auggie?" Blaine asked.

"I don't mind a bit. The rain has let up and I can be there in twenty minutes. I'll be back later tomorrow morning and I'll bring a couple of mules so Kurt won't have to walk. I need to talk to the big boss in the morning, so it might be around noon when I get back. Let me grab my coat and I'll be on my way," the big man said, reaching behind Blaine to snag his heavy coat from a hook on the porch. He smiled at Blaine, then walked off the porch towards the shed where the mule was standing in the doorway, eating hay.

"Thanks, August. I owe you one, man," Blaine said, grateful this might work out. August just nodded and went to get the saddle, patting his mule, Maximus, on the way.

Kurt didn't know who was at the door, but he hoped it wasn't Cooper. He didn't want to have to relate the whole thing to him. He went back to the bed and laid down, pulling the blanket up to his ears and turning his face to the wall.

Blaine opened the door quietly and stepped into the cabin. He had been in this cabin frequently, having known August since he came to work for Mr. Warner a number of years ago. He saw Kurt under the blanket, shivering. There was no evidence of Kurt's wet clothes having been hung up, so he must still be wearing them. Blaine sighed. Kurt didn't have the self-preservation skills he needed some days. Blaine could tell that Kurt wasn't sleeping. He was pretending to, but Blaine had spent every night wrapped in those arms and he knew.

As he watched, a sob wracked Kurt's back and Blaine felt the pain of it in his gut. This was his fault. He looked in his backpack and pulled out the extra thermal underwear he carried there. He was always prepared when he left the cabin and this was just a part of his equipment along with wool socks and a few other things. He walked over to the stove as saw there was a pot of stew – venison if he was correct – and some sourdough rolls.

He removed his outer clothing, and stood in his thermals he'd thrown on when he left his cabin earlier. He walked over to the bed then, and climbed up next to Kurt.

Kurt was still pretending to be asleep. He didn't hear more than one person in the room, but he wasn't sure. It would be better if he could just go back to sleep. There was only one bed in the cabin, but he knew most of the lumberjacks shared beds if necessary, so he wasn't too surprised when he felt a body lie down next to him. He stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed, trying to get back to sleep. He was still cold, but there wasn't much he could do about it. When August fell asleep, he might just scoot closer to share some warmth through the blankets.

The body heat was coming through a bit more after a little while and Kurt was grateful. He was still shivering, but it was getting better. He was in and out of sleep for a few minutes when he smelled something. No, it couldn't be. He sniffed and there it was. A sort of spicy vanilla with almost a fresh citrus scent, maybe with spring rain. Well, that was dumb -this was spring and it was raining so of course he smelled that. He closed his eyes once again. But the scent was back, wafting over the bed from a tiny breeze from under the door. This was crazy, had he missed Blaine so much after six or so hours that he was hallucinating? Unheard of. This was nuts, August even breathed like Blaine.

Suddenly, Kurt missed Blaine so much he started to cry. Just quietly to himself. He messed up everything. Would Blaine even listen to him when he came back? Or should he do the brave thing and ask August to help him leave and not pester Blaine anymore. He was so lost in thought, at first he didn't realize the vibrations in the bed weren't all caused by him. But August was sobbing, too? That didn't make sense.

He turned in the bed and his eyes met those of the other person. They were beautiful golden hazel with flecks of mossy green and they were liquid with tears. Blaine sniffed, trying to brush the tears from his cheeks. Kurt pushed his hands away and leaned forward, kissing the tears off of Blaine's cheeks. They didn't say a word to each other as Blaine sat up, helping Kurt to take off the soaked clothing and dry himself on a towel that Blaine found in the dresser.

Blaine removed his own clothing, sliding into the bed next to Kurt and gathering him closely in his arms, kissing his face, his temple, his cheeks and then burying his face in Kurt's neck. He kissed along the joint between the shoulder and neck, down to Kurt's collarbone where he left a small purple bite mark. Kurt moaned at the feeling, at the thought that he really did belong to Blaine, heart and soul. He was so sorry he'd lost his temper, so sorry he'd been a fool once again and he wanted Blaine to forgive him – but he didn't know how to ask.

Blaine continued to kiss the boy he loved, playing with the chain around his neck that held the Orion's Belt etched on the disc. He smiled at the thought of what was hidden in the cupboard back at the cabin.

Kurt was holding Blaine close to his chest, still shivering as Blaine scooted closer and closer, trying to touch Kurt everywhere he could to warm him up. He began rubbing his arms briskly and when that wasn't helpful, he put Kurt's freezing hands between his thighs to try to warm them. He stopped and found the woolen socks and pulled them on Kurt's feet to try and get some warmth back in them.

There still had been no words exchanged between the two, and the silence went on for quite a while as Blaine tried to warm Kurt and Kurt tried to cuddle as close as possible to the warm boy next to him. It was inevitable that with all the closeness and the rubbing and trying to get warm that a different type of fire was kindled. Blaine was kissing Kurt once again, down his neck and onto his chest. He was under the covers, kissing all the long muscles that were Kurt's chest when he kissed his nipple inadvertently. Kurt took in a breath and groaned. Blaine heard it, not just with his ears, but his body heard it and responded. All the blood rushed south as Blaine's dizzy head emptied. He lost no time in doing that again, hoping for the same reaction. He wasn't denied a single thing as Kurt shivered, but this time it was a different kind of shiver and his hips bucked forward a little, his back arching as his body did what his heart demanded and his mind had been thinking.

"Kurt...oh, my baby...my love..." Blaine whispered softly as he kissed Kurt briefly before dipping his head down to lick the other nipple. Kurt's fingers carded through the curls and held on, bringing Blaine's head to stay there for another moment and lick him again.

"Blaine...yes, yes...please, Blaine, please..." Kurt said, but he didn't even know what it was he wanted. Blaine continued to lick and press his lips against the small bit of flesh for a few more moments. Kurt was thrusting against him, and Blaine was coming unglued – not knowing what to say or if it was even necessary. He felt Kurt reaching for his jeans, left folded on the side of the bed. He fumbled in the pocket for a moment and the next thing Blaine knew, there were Kurt's fingers at the small pink pucker between his cheeks. He didn't stop to think, just moved to his back and let Kurt spread his legs, smearing the lubricant across his entrance and drawing concentric circles until Blaine was gasping and bucking back against him.

Kurt took his time, slowly stretching and massaging, adding a finger to slowly begin the scissoring motion that made Blaine ready for him. Kurt's chest was across Blaine and they kissed and Blaine loved the weight of his lover, pressing him to the mattress as he fell apart in his hands. Finally it seemed like Blaine was ready, having turned into a moaning, keening pile of melted boyfriend and Kurt smiled to himself, still amazed that he could bring Blaine to this state. It surprised him every time that Blaine could become so aroused at something Kurt did, and that in turn turned Kurt on even more.

Kurt laid on his back, pulling Blaine into position to ride him. Blaine's eyes got big, having never thought of this position for them, at least hadn't thought of it now, and got his legs and arms ready. Kurt was supporting him as they figured the logistics of it all, then like magic Blaine was sliding down onto position and the feeling was so completely different than the first time they had done it face to face. He had no idea how much strength was needed for this, lifting himself with his thigh muscles and trying to keep his balance as he was constantly fighting himself not to just drop down with all of gravity forcing him onto Kurt's cock.

Kurt realized the problem and put out his hands, grasping Blaine around the waist and helping to relieve the pressure in his thigh muscles as he slid up and then slowly back down, impaling himself on Kurt's cock and feeling the full sensation of having his lover inside him. Even with Kurt helping him keep his balance, it was hard work, but the rewards was worth each and every second of the struggle. With the advantage of being able to move more freely, he could direct the pressure and angle and when he felt Kurt pushing across that part of himself that made stars burst behind his eyes, he all but screamed Kurt's name. It was so hard to stay in the exact right place, and soon the sweat began to run down his temples as he exerted himself.

Blaine was tired from walking so far with the stress of the argument and resulting guilt riding him, and he could feel his muscles begin to cramp. He was experiencing so much love and it felt so good to him, but he was not near to his climax yet and he worried he might give out before he got there. His thighs began to tremble as he pushed his body up once again feeling them weaken as he allowed himself to go down a little faster unable to hold himself up.

Kurt sensed this and put a hand to his belly, rubbing softly and the locking his eyes on Blaine. He smiled and shifted his weight, wrapping his arms around Blaine and letting him sink to the mattress as they changed positions without moving apart. Soon Blaine was on his back and Kurt was above him, stroking into him in a steady rhythm that Blaine began to feel in his whole body, like the tide coming in. The movement, rocking in rhythm, was slowly building up to a climax and Blaine was panting before it was close. Kurt had stopped moaning and was now at a high pitched keening as it got closer...

"Kurt...Kurt..." was all Blaine could muster and Kurt leaned down as far as he could toward Blaine and whispered.

"Do you need me to touch you, Blaine?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but gathered some of the lubricant from where they were joined and used it as he curled his soft hand around Blaine, stroking gently as he moved his thumb along the edge of the crown, making Blaine experience more than he thought possible.

With a heart wrenching squeal, Blaine came in warm spurts, pumping out across their flesh as Kurt watched with his eyes wide before closing them, replaying the sound in his head twice before he gave a loud moan and Blaine could feel the Earth shatter and Kurt was almost in tears as he came, his pent-up anxiety pumping out of his body along with his seed. He gave one last half-hearted thrust and lay down on Blaine's chest, his resolve to be strong broken as he sobbed his exhaustion out in Blaine's warm embrace.

After a few minutes, Blaine climbed out from under Kurt and grabbed a towel from the bedside table. He was able to clean up without getting anything on the sheets, then helped Kurt to pull on the thermals he had brought with him. Blaine put his back on, including the woolen socks and he slid back in with Kurt, still not saying a word and pulling him into his chest, wrapping his arms around the boy he loved. He placed kisses on his head, his temple. And buried his nose in Kurt's neck.

Kurt sobbed his heart out, Blaine staying right there with him, not trying to stop him or to ask him anything, just held him and let him know he was there. It was exactly what Kurt needed. This had been building in him since the accident at the beach. While he did not think he blamed Blaine at all, it had put a burden on him that maybe this relationship was doomed, that karma was trying to tell him something. Little things had added to it, and not even things Blaine had done. The incident with Hank, the jealousy over Lenore, and maybe even the anal tear made his apprehension loom larger. The humiliation of being spanked like a small child – and not being able to get away, that was the final straw and Kurt had just lost it.

Blaine understood much of this. He had seen the emotions building up, but had no clue how to deal with it, no way to solve it. So he did what a lot of people do: he ignored it. He hadn't meant to humiliate Kurt, but now he understood it. He hadn't realized how much stronger he was than Kurt – who was taller with longer arms. But after the knee surgery, he hadn't been able to keep up with his exercise regimen and he had lost some muscle tone in the process. Plus he had probably never been as strong as Blaine, who not only trained with Pete, but did manual labor for years when all Kurt did was pick up his school books and walk across campus.

Kurt had run out of tears. He had sobbed with dry eyes for a while, but much like dry heaves when you're drunk, that only made things worse. Blaine had begun carding his fingers through Kurt's hair, feeling the silky strands as they slid through between his fingers and felt so soft. It was calming for Kurt and he got sleepy. He did not fall asleep, he was too wound up for that, but he was in a better state.

"Thank you, Blaine." he said, kissing his neck. He smelled a certain scent that had been around for the last few days. It didn't smell like any product or soap Blaine used, this was new. It was faint but had a very pungent aroma. Kurt thought about it. Scents had always affected him a great deal, and this one was beginning to. He recalled smelling it in the helicopter in the morning when they landed, and again just a little hint of it in the cabin. Maybe it was something Lenore was using...a new perfume? He didn't recall her smelling like that before, though, and why was it so much stronger on Blaine's hands of all places? Kurt dismissed this for now, there were so many other things they needed to talk over the fleeting odor was not anything to worry about.

"Blaine, I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I hope you know that I didn't mean anything I said, and that I love you so much. If I did anything to make you think I didn't love you...I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" Kurt babbled, worried about how this would come across to Blaine, hoping it didn't make him look weak.

"No, no...oh, Kurt, no...I'm not angry with you and there is nothing to forgive. It was my fault and I am asking you to forgive me. I love you, too, and I want to spend the rest of my life telling you so," Blaine said, his eyes watering as he gave Kurt a very tender kiss on his full and soft lips. They closed their eyes and kissed for a while, each marveling in the sweet and gentle kiss of the other. They were so much in love, and this little rift would be forgotten by next week.

"Blaine, can you sing me a lullaby?" Kurt asked.

"Of course, baby. Can it be a Disney lullaby?" Blaine asked.

"Those are the best kind," Kurt said, smiling a little in anticipation.

"Well, this is the one from 'Tarzan'. I love you, Kurt, with all my heart. You know that, don't you?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, Blaine, I just need to be reminded sometimes, okay? I love you, too," Kurt answered, gathering a handful of Blaine's shirt in his fist.

"I love you, too, baby, with all my heart."

_Come stop your crying, It will be alright  
Just take my hand, Hold it tight  
I will protect you, From all around you  
I will be here, Don't you cry_

For one so small, You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you, Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us, Can't be broken  
I will be here, Don't you cry

'Cause you'll be in my heart, Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on, Now and forever more  
You'll be in my heart ,No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart, always

Why can't they understand the way we feel?  
They just don't trust what they can't explain  
I know we're different but deep inside us  
We're not that different at all

And you'll be in my heart, Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on, Now and forever more

Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know?  
We need each other To have, to hold.  
They'll see in time I know

When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you, But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time I know  
We'll show them together

'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
I'll be there from this day on,  
Now and forever more

Oh, you'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart  
Always I'll be with you  
I'll be there for you always, Always and always  
Just look over your shoulder  
Just look over your shoulder  
Just look over your shoulder  
I'll be there always. 

"Kurt?" Blaine whispered, but he was sound asleep. "Kurt, I mean every word of that, my love."

Kurt smiled in his sleep and curled himself just a bit closer to Blaine as he fell asleep, too.


	27. Chapter 27 - Stargazer Returns

As it happened, Blaine was sitting in the yard when August showed up with two mules alongside his own. They were the same mules that had come to Kurt's rescue so many months ago, and Blaine smiled. He loved any kind of animal, but he was very fond of these particular mules.

"Maximus, Caesar, Claudius!" Blaine shouted and all the mules put their ears up. Blaine grinned and turned to Kurt to see if he was happy to see them.

"Ah...Blaine? Are you sure I can ride one of those? I mean last time I was on with you," he said, looking rather apprehensive. "And to tell you the truth? I don't remember much of it."

"You'll be fine. They are all gentle as kittens," Blaine assured him.

"Hello, August!" Kurt greeted the man, smiling at him when he was closer.

"Good morning, Kurt...Blaine. I trust you two are back on the same page now?" he assessed from Blaine's arm around Kurt's waist and Kurt's around Blaine's shoulders.

"Yes, thank you. Everything is always clearer in the light of day. I hope we didn't intrude too much last night," Blaine said, looking contrite.

"Not at all. I went to your cabin, had a great night's sleep and caught the mules from the corral this morning. They didn't have any work, so it was a good day to come joyriding with you," he laughed. "They get too fat just moseying around the corral with Shannon feeding them apples and such. She spoils these guys."

The three mules were kept at the base camp for times when a piece of equipment wasn't able to get a job done, the mules were all broken to harness and had dragged their fair share of logs from difficult places or expensive vehicles out of the mud. It was good to have someone ride them once in a while because they could get lazy if left idle for too long.

"Well, I'm going to put Maximus in the shed and rub him down, then I have to go have a look at a small project north of here. Are you two okay to ride Caesar and Claudius back to the camp?" August asked.

"Sure, and thank you again, August. You're a good friend. I don't have to ask you not to mention this to Cooper, he is a great brother, but he doesn't need any more reasons to kid me, you know?" Blaine asked.

"No problem, kid, it's just between us. Are you doing okay this morning, Kurt?" August asked.

"Yeah, tired and my leg is achy, but on the whole I'm feeling pretty good. Thanks," Kurt said and went to hug August. Auggie was a bit surprised, he didn't often get hugs from men, but he hugged Kurt back with equal fervor. He really did like the kid.

The mules were already saddled, so August helped Kurt climb up on Claudius and Blaine hopped on Caesar and off they went, waving goodbye to August.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked after maybe half a mile.

"Yes?" Blaine stopped daydreaming and pulled his mule up close to Kurt's.

"Ah...which mule did you have when you brought me back last time?" Kurt asked.

"Ummm...oh, it was Caesar. He had the steadiest gait and calmest temper. Why?"

"Well, I don't want to complain, but...my butt hurts. It was sore yesterday and I'm not used to riding...with my legs all spread wide like this," Kurt looked down. "I don't want to seem ungrateful or cause you any more trouble, but I don't think I'll make it back to the cabin."

"Oh, Kurt, you should have said something sooner! Let me think. We could walk and lead the mules, but with your leg so sore we don't want to damage it..." Blaine said, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he thought.

"I was thinking, maybe I could ride with you? Caesar didn't mind last time and if I was across your lap like I was then - -maybe it wouldn't hurt so much?" Kurt asked in a small voice. He was embarrassed to cause any more problems, but the pain was getting bad.

"Oh, that should work. Okay, let's try it," Blaine smiled.

With a bit of adjusting and the help of Caesar, Blaine hefted Kurt into the saddle, then climbed up behind him. There was no saddle horn, these were not Western saddles, so Kurt fit in front. Kurt was able to sit between Blaine's legs where they had folded a jacket to act as a pad, his legs dangling down on the left side and Blaine's arms supporting him.

"How's that?" Blaine asked, making sure Claudius' reins were tied securely to Caesar's saddle.

"Oh, that works perfectly. I feel better already, Blaine. Thank you," Kurt said, giving his fiancé a kiss.

The rest of the ride home was like a page from a book. The rain made everything smell so fresh and there were so many flowers to smell, little animals to see. Kurt pointed out a flying squirrel in a tree they passed by and Blaine reined the mule in so they could stop and watch the little guy gliding from branch to branch. Kurt had never really seen a flying squirrel before, other than JayJay, so he was enchanted. Blaine watched as Kurt's grin stretched across his face and lit up his eyes. All he could think was how lucky he was to have Kurt.

They moved on, still watching the trees as different species of birds flew and perched on the branches of the trees. Some were feeding their babies or catching some dinner, some just singing their hearts out.

"I can see a black-capped chickadee! Oh, they have those in Ohio. I always think they're so cute," Kurt said, pointing out the fat little bird as it tried to pick a bug from under the bark of a tree.

"I know the names of some, but there must be hundreds of species here. There, look over there...see the yellow bird? It's a magnolia warbler. Can you hear it singing?"

"Oh! I knew a warbler was a songbird – remember the show choir from Dalton was named The Warblers? I always wondered what they really sounded like," Kurt said, enchanted by its lovely song.

"Oh! Look at that one!" Kurt pointed to a dusky pink bird trying to get a seed out of a pine cone. The bird pulled back it's head and Kurt gasped. "Aww. Something is wrong with it's beak. Poor thing," He looked so sad.

Blaine chuckled. "No, it's fine, baby, That is a crossbill. It's beak was made to cross at the end like that, it's perfectly natural." Kurt looked at the unusual bird for a while, then leaned over to kiss Blaine.

"I love that you know so much about wild things, Blaine. I feel like I see something new every day here. This truly is Eden, isn't it?"

"As long as I have you, it's heaven to me," Blaine said.

They rode along for a while, seeing birds and animals, some otters by the stream, a porcupine in a lodgepole pine, more small mice like creatures and a fox chasing them.

"What kinds of animals have you seen in your lifetime here?" Kurt asked, wondering.

"Oh, I can't remember them all, this is a pretty wild area. Let's see. I've seen deer and elk, sometimes a black bear, lots of raccoons, possums, skunks. There is a beaver dam down the canyon. Oh, I have seen both a cougar and a bobcat! Neither one near here, though. I was with my dad both times and he was hunting way back in the woods. Farther west closer to the coast there are all kinds of beautiful ducks: redheads, Harlequins, Green-winged Teals, cinnamon teals, tufted ducks, wood ducks...even a whistling duck that makes this great sound like it's whistling. Oh, and a white one with black tips called a Smew." Blaine said.

Kurt grinned. They were talking, just riding slowly when Blaine stopped the mule again.

"You remember on Snow White there is a family of quail with the silly black plume above their heads?" he asked.

"Yeah..."

"Look over there," Blaine said, pointing. There, walking down a path in the grass was a family of quail. Kurt tried hard to keep quiet, but his high-pitched giggle finally sounded in the quiet forest and the quail family faded into the brush.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Blaine. But they really looked like a cartoon drawing, didn't they?" he grinned.

"That they did. It's okay. We need to get home, I'm hungry, but we have one more place to stop," Blaine said, turning Caesar's head a bit to the west as he picked his way over the grassy path.

They rode for a ways, Blaine still holding Kurt and Kurt's arms wrapped around Blaine. The mule came around a bend in the trail and there in front of them was a large patch of ripe raspberries.

Kurt's eyes lit up at the sight. With the exception of blackberries, raspberries were his favorite food.

Blaine helped him down and they banged on a tin plate from Blaine's pack for a few minutes to warn any bears before they started into the patch. They picked enough for several meals and some to make jam with, placing them in a bucket attached to Claudius' saddle. When they were done, Kurt gathered Blaine close to himself and began kissing him, licking at his hands and fingers which were covered with berry juice. Blaine kissed Kurt's mouth, licking over his lips and chin where the juice of dozens of raspberries had left tiny droplets as Kurt ate mouthful after mouthful of the sweet treat.

"Blaine, I'm sorry we fought, but this has been one of the best days of my life, and it's because I was in this Eden and because I got to spend it with you," Kurt said so earnestly, Blaine blushed.

"It was for me, too, Kurt. It was wonderful."

They rode the rest of the way to the cook house, singing to each other and smiling, joking and pointing out things they saw along the way. They unsaddled the mules, rubbed them down and Blaine gave them a few forkfuls of hay. Hand in hand, the boys went back to the cabin.

"Blaine, do you mind if I take a short nap? I'm so tired. It was exhausting yesterday and even though I was riding home, it just made me so sleepy," Kurt whined, his swollen knee giving him a lot of pain.

"Okay, baby. Here, let me help you get those clothes off and I'll tuck you in," Blaine said. He got Kurt ready and then went to the outhouse down the path and by the time he got back, Kurt was sound asleep.

Making sure Kurt didn't turn over in his sleep, Blaine went to the cupboard and pulled out his mysterious paper bag and left the cabin, walking a short ways to the top of a hill and stopped. He was in the clearing where they had watched the stars that night so long ago when they kissed for the first time. Well, they kissed lying in the muck of the goat pen, but this was the night they fell in love. It would be perfect. He got out some tools and got to work.

Blaine took off his clothes down to his underwear and poured some heated water from the back of the stove into the basin, then added cool water from the pitcher until the temperature was just right. He stripped the rest of the way down, standing in front of the stove naked as he soaped up a washcloth and started scrubbing. He was covered in dirt and mud and sweat, and he certainly did not want Kurt to be subjected to that. No, his surprise was so good this time he thought he might get a lapfull of Kurt and wanted to look …. and smell...his best.

He smiled in anticipation of the gifts he had brought from Philomath. He had no way to hide the first one except the paper sack, and he hoped the argument they had yesterday wouldn't put a damper on the gift. It had been a spur of the moment thing, and sometimes impetuous gifts weren't as welcomed as one might plan, but he was pretty sure Kurt would like it.

He had finished scrubbing now and was rinsing the soap off of his skin. He looked down, assessing how he might look to Kurt. He had the same golden skin as his mother, and had inherited her curls. At least that's what his father used to tell him. He remembered a photograph of his mother that his dad used to have in a frame, but he had no idea of where that picture was now.

Blaine leaned over and picked up his clothes from the puncheon floor of the cabin and tossed them into a basket he kept for laundry. He would need to wash his clothes and linens this week. Taking clean things out of his trunk, he got dressed. Well, he got his boxers and a T-shirt on, not fully dressed, but he did have on socks.

Walking over to the stove and cupboard, he got out some things to have for a picnic later. There was a trout that Cookie had smoked, nice and spicy with pepper, and some red bell peppers he cut into strips. He took some of the cookies that he and Kurt had baked last week – walnut and brown sugar, one of his favorites – and then put a large amount of the fresh raspberries in a container for them to feed to each other. He smiled at the thought of that and the way Kurt had licked his face and fingers when he had raspberry juice on them. One of the things he loved so much about Kurt was that he was unpredictable.

Cookie had given him some sparkling apple juice when Blaine told him his plan for this evening, Blaine couldn't keep everything a secret and needed some advice on the present he had brought from Philomath.

All the food was packed in the picnic basket along with a cloth to set out and sit on, some napkins, flatware to eat with, two bottles of water, and Blaine thought it was going to be a great time. He knew Kurt loved picnics, so Blaine was determined to give him one.

Tired after his errand in the clearing and the packing of the baskets, Blaine wiped his hands on a kitchen towel, smiled to himself at the idea of how Kurt was going to react, and sat on the side of the bed. He was careful not to jostle Kurt as he got into bed, but he was in a hurry and his arms were around Kurt as soon as he touched the pillow. He climbed under the covers next to Kurt. Kurt turned in his sleep, snuggling into Blaine like a baby koala and Blaine was soon sound asleep beside him.

The sun streaming in the west window in the late afternoon woke the boys. Kurt blinked and hid his face in Blaine's shoulder to avoid having it in his eyes. He whined a little, not fully awake and feeling his knee aching. He fussed a bit, pulling the blanket so it blocked the sun.

"Hey, baby, what's wrong? Are you having a nightmare?" Blaine asked, kissing Kurt's shoulder.

"No, the sun was in my eyes and my leg is aching a lot," Kurt said, turning so his back was to both the sun and Blaine. He stuck out his butt and snuggled it into Blaine's crotch as he got comfortable, scrunching his pillow and falling back asleep.

Blaine had no objections to having Kurt's perfectly round arse shoved into his crotch if Kurt didn't mind he acted on it. He smoothed his hands across the taut skin, rubbing and squeezing gently. He was very sorry he'd spanked Kurt now. It must have hurt and Blaine wasn't someone who hurt other people – or at least he didn't think he was. Then he remembered last night in August's cabin. He smiled. It seemed all might have been forgiven. He gave the plump cheek one more squeeze and settled his head on the pillow next to Kurt, kissing his neck and listening to all the little noises Kurt emitted when he was happy in bed. Blaine closed his eyes once again, drifting to sleep for a little while longer before he'd have to get up and cook supper.

Kurt sat up abruptly.

"What is that smell?" he demanded, taking Blaine by surprise.

"What smell? I have some stew on the back of the stove." Blaine said.

"No. I can smell the stew...smells good by the way...but no. It's like too strong perfume, but not something I've ever smelled before this week. I smelled it on the helicopter and again in August's cabin last night," Kurt said in an agitated voice. He pulled Blaine's hands close to his face and took in a big breath.

"There! I can smell it on your hands! What the hell is it?" Kurt demanded.

"Kurt...I don't know. I think you're hallucinating, though I've heard of aural and visual I've never heard of olfactory hallucinations."

Kurt gave him a stare, then shook his head.

"Maybe it was something you touched? Maybe something at August's cabin? No, that wouldn't account for my smelling it in the helicopter. Damn, this is going to drive me nuts, Do you have any ideas?" Kurt asked, but Blaine shook his head no.

"Let's worry about that later. I have a picnic planned. Most of it is packed, so let's get dressed. Look, it isn't raining, so we can have a good time," Blaine grinned as he pulled on his jeans.

They were ready and out the door, picnic basket between them as they walked the path to the clearing at the top of the hill. Blaine spread out the blanket and set down the basket, getting out the contents. Kurt helped him set out some baked things: muffins and cookies for later. Then the fruit: fresh raspberries, and a cold trout for them to split. It had been smoked and had a delicious flavor on crackers. They were lying together on the blanket, Kurt on his tummy with his legs in the air in a comfortable position, watching the birds in the trees down at the end of the path. He suddenly stared at Blaine.

"I can smell it again. Honestly, Blaine, I think I'm going crazy. There it is again! But so much stronger here."

"Look behind you, Kurt. Maybe that's where it's coming from?"

Kurt turned. There, a few dozen feet away was the most beautiful lily Kurt had ever seen. It was pinkish purple fading to white with dots of magenta on the petals. It had a few blooms on it, but the top one was spectacular. It was indeed where the scent was coming from, and Kurt sniffed to get more.

"Oh, Blaine! You planted that there, didn't you?" he asked, though he knew the answer.

"I did. I bought it in town at a flower shop when we were getting ready to come home. I saw it in the shop and loved it, but I knew it was fate when I read the name of the lily on its tag. Kurt, this is a 'Stargazer Lily'."

Kurt's eyebrows went up to his hairline and the smile on his face seemed to break him.

"It's beautiful, Blaine. Thank you." Kurt said, looking at the lily and smiling.

"That's not all, baby, look closer," Blaine suggested. Kurt scooted over close and studied the lily. His eyes opened wide when he saw it. He lifted his fingers to his lips, and he had a look of amazement on his beautiful face. Blaine's eyes moved from Kurt's face to the flower and back. Finally, with trembling hands, Kurt reached forward to touch the center of the flower and the ring that was sitting on the open bloom.

It was a white-gold band, seven small sapphires embedded at intervals around the ring and stars etched in the gold. It was resting on the Stargazer Lily. Blaine picked it up and, taking Kurt's hand, he pushed the ring on Kurt's finger, kissing his fiancé with everything inside of him. Kurt kissed back, telling Blaine everything he needed to know in that one kiss, in that one moment.

"The blue sapphires are for your eyes, my love, and the stars are for the day I realized I never wanted to live a single day without you by my side. Will you marry me, Kurt Hummel?" Blaine asked, looking deep into Kurt's eyes.

"Yes, Blaine Anderson."

And they kissed and rolled over to touch each other, tangling their legs together and they wrapped their arms together and kissed for a good long while. Then suddenly Kurt could not contain his joy as he shouted into the air, I LOVE BLAINE ANDERSON!"

And Blaine shouted "I LOVE KURT HUMMEL!"

And it echoed over the mountain.

Later that night, after Kurt insisted that they build a small protective fence around his new Stargazer Lily, they were in bed lying next to each other and just smiling. Kurt was smiling and looking at the ring on his left hand, humming a tune. Blaine finished stripping down to his underwear and climbed into bed next to Kurt.

"Do you like it?" Blaine asked again. He had been so scared that Kurt would think it was too girly or too sentimental.

"It's perfect, Blaine. Now, I have a small surprise for you," Kurt grinned, slipping something out from under his pillow and placing it in Blaine's hand.

It was a black velvet box, just the right size. Blaine smiled at Kurt and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, baby."

He opened it and inside was a ring. It was platinum with intertwining gold ribbons around the center.

"The gold lines are to symbolize us. Two lives, never too far apart, always coming together and touching each other, never ending," Kurt explained. He took the ring and placed it on Blaine's finger and kissed it. His eyes looked up to find Blaine's and he saw the tears begin in the golden hazel eyes he loved so much with the mossy green sparkling and tears came into his own eyes.

"Oh, my god, Blaine...those are _**not**__ happy tears_! What's wrong?" Kurt asked, staring at his fiancé and Blaine fell down on the bed, curled into himself. Kurt put his hand on Blaine's hip, soothing him as best he could but the sobbing only got worse and Blaine turned his face away so Kurt couldn't see him cry any more.

"Blaine? Blaine! What's wrong, what did I do?" Kurt whispered, his skin turning cold as he sat and watched his fiancé fall apart.


	28. Chapter 28 - Revelations of the Heart

"_Oh, my god, Blaine...those are __**not**__ happy tears! What's wrong?" Kurt asked, staring at his fiancé and Blaine fell down on the bed, curled into himself. Kurt put his hand on Blaine's hip, soothing him as best he could but the sobbing only got worse and Blaine turned his face away so Kurt couldn't see him cry anymore._

"_Blaine? Blaine! What's wrong, what did I do?" Kurt whispered, his skin turning cold as he sat and watched his fiancé fall apart._

Kurt had no idea why Blaine was crying and it scared him. Was it the ring? Was Blaine upset that Kurt had given him a ring when this was so clearly the day Blaine had made so many special arrangements to surprise Kurt? No, Kurt was sure that wasn't the case. Blaine's ego didn't stretch as far as being selfish and that would be selfish to want all the glory for himself.

"Blaine? Baby, what's wrong?" he asked again, but Blaine was crying so hard he couldn't answer if he wanted to. Kurt still wasn't sure if it was something he had done, but he wasn't going to let Blaine suffer alone. He gathered him up in his arms and held him as close as he could manage. He kissed his cheeks and brushed tears away, rubbed comforting circles on his back, whispered in his ear how much he loved him and how he would be with him forever. Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt and his face fell onto Kurt's shoulder, the sobbing making his whole body tremble.

Kurt got the blanket in his hand without having to move Blaine too much and wrapped it around him, keeping him warm. It went on for so long that Kurt finally tugged Blaine down on the bed, crawling under the blanket with him, and held on. Finally Blaine's tears stopped. He was trying to wipe his face, but his hands were damp and his nose was running. Kurt got up from the bed and got a warm washcloth and came back to wash Blaine's red, swollen face. He set the cloth aside and got back in bed.

"Blaine? You want to tell me what's wrong now?" Kurt forced himself to say. He dreaded the answer, but waiting wouldn't change anything and he was always one to face the music. He steeled himself for the worst, thinking about what he might do if Blaine asked him to leave.

"I know it's stupid, Kurt but I just don't know how to say it..." Blaine blinked and turned his eyes on Kurt. He was stunned at what he saw: Kurt was white, like all the blood had left his face and hands. He looked terrified and his face was so full of fear and dejection it was shocking. Blaine rushed to fix it.

"Oh, no...no, Kurt. This isn't about you, baby, no...it's about me. This is the happiest day of my entire life, but my heart is just breaking because I can't share it with my parents. I know how much it would have meant to my father to know I found such joy in life, but he's gone and I can't get him back. I can't ever talk to him again, or feel him hold me. I am so in love with you, Kurt, and I wanted to tell my father. You understand, don't you?" Blaine's eyes were pleading for Kurt to understand.

Looking at Kurt, his blue eyes filling with tears, Blaine suddenly _knew_ he understood. Kurt had told him that he had lost his mother when he was eight. He had even taken Blaine to her grave to 'introduce' him before they came back to Oregon. One glance at Kurt's face and Blaine knew he was right there with him, wishing a long dead love would come back, just long enough for them to share their wonderful news.

Kurt tugged Blaine back into his arms.

"I know, Blaine. I know. I've felt this before, and I can be here with you through it. I can't fix it, nobody can, but I can weather the storm with you," Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear as he comforted the boy he loved with all his heart. "It's going to be okay, my love. I know it hurts and it seems like there will never be a time when it will be okay again, but you'll weather it and so will I. We can be each other's strength in this," Kurt went on, hoping _something_ he said might make a difference.

"I do understand, Kurt. You are what holds me together, you know. I'm nothing without you, but together? We can conquer anything," Blaine said, believing each and every word of it.

Two weeks later Blaine was getting ready for bed, washing the dust of the day from his skin in front of the fire. Kurt was sitting on the bed, looking nervous as he took off his jeans. Blaine had helped him undo the buckles and slip the brace from his leg. He was so tired of the brace, but he'd have to wear it until at least September. It wasn't like he'd just broken the leg, he'd torn ligaments and tendons and cartilage and it took forever to heal. Some days it was fine, but going without the brace for more than an hour caused it to ache so badly the next day he was confined to the cabin. He'd given in and just wore the damn thing every day. He didn't always use the cane, but he found it easier to walk since he didn't have free movement with the brace, so his step was delayed when he went forward on that leg and it tended to make him trip.

"What's up, buttercup?" Blaine asked, grinning at his joke, but Kurt just gave him a wan smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Nothing, just feeling kind of strange today. Ah, Blaine? Can I ask you to do me a favor?" Kurt asked reluctantly.

"You know you can ask me anything, Kurt. What's up?"

"Ah..well, it's been three weeks and Dr. Parsons told me I should be all healed by now. So, I was wondering if you could...ah..check?"

"Why are you so nervous, baby? I have seen that portion of your anatomy before once or twice you know," Blaine tried for an encouraging smile. Kurt blushed and shook the pants leg off of his ankle. His knee was still a bit stiff, although it was steadily healing.

Blaine sat down on the bed next to Kurt and patted his lap. Kurt, with a blush that went all down his back, laid across it and Blaine parted his ass cheeks to see the wound. It was still visible to a certain extent, but the angry redness was completely gone.

"It looks all healed to me, Kurt. How does it feel?" Blaine asked.

"It feels fine. I want to be careful, but it doesn't hurt at all anymore," Kurt sounded relieved. He remained lying across Blaine's lap when he felt a strong arm holding him in place, but he turned his head to see Blaine surveying the tempting landscape.

"I swear by all that is holy, Blaine Anderson, if you spank me now, I'll not only gut you with a knife, but I'll castrate you first," Kurt growled.

Blaine jumped at Kurt's sudden change in attitude, but smiled gently at his lover.

"No, Kurt, I won't ever do that again. Unless you want me to..." he smirked, earning a pinch on his calf – the only place Kurt could reach considering his position.

"You can let me go now. I just wanted to make sure I was healed up," Kurt said, getting anxious. Blaine's grip was pretty tight right now.

"Nope. I kind of like the scenery," Blaine said, rubbing a nice pink cheek while holding Kurt still with his other hand. He could feel Kurt's muscles clench under his hand and regretted once more the night he had jokingly spanked his boyfriend and the resulting fight. Kurt may have said he forgave him, but Blaine thought he would have to do something to prove he could be trusted again. He leaned forward and kissed the middle of the closer cheek, feeling the taut muscle under the soft skin. Kurt stopped struggling immediately and tried to turn and look at Blaine, but it was the wrong angle. Blaine let him go, helping Kurt to lie down on the featherbed beside him. He moved him over and lay down beside him, dragging him under the covers.

"Kurt? I've said I'm sorry for that night, and I truly am, but I just feel we have some kind of barrier between us. Like when you broke your leg or when I got hit with the book? I know our love is there, unquestioned, but there is just this surface tension once in a while and it makes it uncomfortable for both of us. What can I do...what can _we_ do to make it the same as it was?" Blaine pleaded.

Kurt reached over and took his hand.

"I don't know. I trust you, Blaine. I just can't help tensing up in certain situations. I'll work on it, I promise. I don't mean to push you away. You know I was kidding about castrating you, right? I kind of like having your balls actually attached to you..." Kurt said, his voice getting lower as his fingers found the pieces of anatomy in question and delicately caressed them. Blaine's eyes got wide and he rushed to kiss Kurt, a low whine escaping his throat as he held Kurt by his hips and rubbed their bellies together. He got an answering moan in response and it was game on.

"Unhhh..." Kurt grunted as he tried to roll Blaine on top of himself, but Blaine had other ideas and sat up. They had been kissing and petting for a while and the urge to get some deeper satisfaction was on the minds of both of them.

"Kurt...ahhhhhh...Kurt my love...ahhhHHHH..." Blaine moaned as Kurt took his erection into his greedy mouth, licking and gently applying suction just to the tip before engulfing it all. Kurt lived for the sounds that escaped Blaine's throat and each one brought Kurt closer to his own climax. He moved his fingertips, delicately tracing Blaine's balls and caressing across the skin to tickle the small bit of flesh behind them. Blaine's hips flexed forward without his permission and Kurt choked a bit, pulling back while Blaine whined an inarticulate apology. They needed to calm down a bit, in spite of the frenzy Kurt had caused in Blaine's bloodstream, and so he pulled off, going up to kiss Blaine's red, swollen lips with his own.

"Calm down, baby. We have all night and I want to make this last as long as possible. Let's cool off for a few minutes, okay?" Kurt proposed and Blaine reluctantly agreed. They laid back on the bed, just staring into each other's eyes for a time. Then, as if the magnetic pull overcame natural gravity, their fingers were touching, tips to tips and smiles were breaking across their faces in just the pure joy of being together.

Kurt closed his eyes, resting for a moment and contemplating just what he wanted to happen next. He actually didn't have anything planned...each and every moment shared with Blaine in bed was amazing, even the ones that turned out silly or awkward. They had tried some sort of bondage once, in which he tied Blaine's arms to the posts of the bed and blindfolded him, but instead of being hot and sexy the two of them laughed so hard they ended up postponing the sexy times until later that night when they could kiss once again without giggling. Kurt figured it was perhaps a lack of maturity on their parts, but both agreed that being tied up just was not sexy to them.

Lying there in the comfortable silence, Kurt began to drift off a little. He tended to push himself during the days, wanting to build up the strength in his leg or to try to keep up with Blaine. He was very physically fit compared to his peers at McKinley, but since Blaine had been born and bred to living in the Oregon wilderness, he had been using muscles Kurt couldn't hope to name, much less use since he was a child. If he was examining his heart of hearts, he had to admit to a bit of jealousy there, but looking at Blaine when he got ready for bed at night with every muscle rippling in the firelight? Wow. Kurt was so amazed that every inch of that strong man, all that warm skin and gentle nature was _his_. Blaine had agreed to _marry_ him! How did he become the luckiest man on Earth? He must have done something good in a former life to deserve someone as beautiful, loving, intelligent, and magical as Blaine Anderson.

His reverie was suddenly disturbed by a whine from the other side of the bed. His eyes flickered open to see two soulful hazel eyes looking back at him, full of love and wonder and questions.

"Are you falling asleep? Oh, Kurt, you must be so tired. We can do this another day, sweetheart. Let's just cuddle and I'll rub your back and you can fall asleep. I'll keep you safe," Blaine said, giving him a gentle smile. He would, too, Kurt knew. Blaine would fight a wildcat with his bare hands to keep Kurt safe; Blaine would never presume to do something he thought Kurt wasn't up for, which made Kurt feel kind of guilty sometimes. He'd like to think he would do the same, but he wasn't positive. There was probably nobody in Oregon that was as selfless as Blaine Anderson.

Kurt grinned at him.

"No, I wasn't falling asleep. I was _plotting_," Kurt smirked. "Now, bring that huge Ander-conda over here...right now."

Blaine's eyes got wide at the silly name, but wasted no time laughing. Instead, he was over on Kurt's side of the bed, sprawled on top of him - almost removing Kurt's tonsils with his tongue before Kurt could take a second breath.

"Mmmmm..." Kurt hummed, caught a little off guard but fully up to the challenge. They kissed for quite a while, working themselves up again, but this time there would be no respite. Both wanted what they wanted and it was not long before Kurt was gasping, whispering his secret desires into Blaine's ear.

"If you think everything is healed...oh, Blaine...you know what I want. Please, can we...?" he practically begged.

Blaine knew exactly what Kurt wanted, he could read it in his eyes like looking into his soul.

"Are you sure? Maybe we can wait a few more weeks to be sure," Blaine said, trying to override his wants and desires and be practical.

"No," Kurt growled. "I'm not waiting another minute...oh, please, Blaine,...I need you so badly right now. We can go slow and be careful, but I want you to slide your fingers inside me, I want you to make me _ready_ for you," he whispered in a husky voice that Blaine felt to his toes. It made his knees weak and his belly tighten with the need and want of it. He could no more deny Kurt than he could make the sun rise in the west.

"Okay, baby...okay," he murmured as he buttered his fingers with the silicon gel they kept beside the bed. "Come close, my love..." he cooed, kissing Kurt on the neck and going down his clavicle with his lips and tongue, nipping and licking as he made his way to Kurt's over-sensitive nipples. He thrilled at the gasp of air Kurt took in as he spread his cheeks to insert his slick finger and begin to gently rub the circular muscle he found there. Kurt's hand, his fingers also spread with the gel, made a circle and slid down Blaine's hardness. It was stiff and throbbing and the muscles responded with a life of their own as Kurt continued to pump his hand up and down the shaft while Blaine moaned his satisfaction and tried with every brain cell he could harness to pay attention to what he was doing to Kurt.

Kurt was having a hard enough time keeping his movements smooth and even, but the stimulation to his own body was competing with his ability to pump his hand in a proper rhythm and Blaine gently removed Kurt's hand, whispering that they had plenty of time for that later. He admonished Kurt, asking him to just concentrate for now on his own body. Kurt reluctantly agreed, knowing he would have his turn to bring pleasure to Blaine.

Sliding his index finger back into Kurt, Blaine's mind refused to function any further than what he could do to please his lover. He leaned forward, moving so he was resting on his belly, beside Kurt so he could reach under his leg to get the best access. He was able to move his head forward and kiss Kurt's long leg, moving his lips across the inner thigh where the skin was the softest. He didn't want to bite Kurt here, it looked too fragile, so he licked gently and tasted the salt and the clean taste that was Kurt. He could inhale the slight scent of jasmine and vanilla, with a sort of spring rain odor that was quintessentially Kurt. Taking in this wonderful smell, Blaine's erection got harder, almost painful as he immersed himself in pleasing this boy he loved. Kurt's hand came to card through Blaine's curls, a comforting gesture that accompanied their more lustful times like clockwork.

Blaine sniffed a bit, detecting a new odor, kind of spicy and deeply aromatic, a little cloying. His mind found space to contemplate where this came from while still directing Blaine's fingers in their most urgent quest. Blaine kissed along Kurt's inner thigh again, from knee to just near his balls when he realized what the scent was – the Stargazer Lily. Kurt must have gone to touch the lily again just before they came inside for bed. A smile crossed Blaine's face as he thought about that, but his mind was dragged back to what he was doing when Kurt begged for more.

"Please, Blaine...I, I need more now. Can you put another finger in? I think I'm almost stretched enough, please..." Kurt begged. Blaine was glad the bedside lamp was still lit because he was still concerned about reopening the tear, so he took a second to peer down at his fingers, making sure all was well. The sight of his fingers disappearing into Kurt's body was way more sensual than he could have imagined. He quickly slid his two fingers out, leaning forward again to give Kurt some oral stimulation while he added more gel to his fingers before entering him with three.

"Oh my god, Blaine...ohhhhhHHHH...MMMmmmmmm" Kurt wailed as Blaine's warm tongue made contact with the ring of muscle. Blaine liked the reaction and continued as Kurt flailed back and forth on the pillow as he made his tongue into a point and breeched the sphincter and massaged until Kurt was a moaning, whining puddle. Blaine returned his fingers plus one and very tenderly inserted them as easily as he could. Kurt whined louder asking when he could have Blaine's 'Ander-conda'. This time, Blaine didn't even crack a smile, it just made it harder to wait. He was making some sounds himself and rubbing his aching erection into the sheet below him in glorious anticipation of the moment when he could push it into Kurt's depths.

After a little while longer, Blaine judged that Kurt was ready and pulled back to look one more time, seeing that the wound was not in danger of tearing again. He withdrew his fingers, using a towel to clean them off before moving up to kiss Kurt for a moment before they continued.

"Are you okay, my love? It doesn't hurt or burn, does it?" he asked. It might have sounded clinical in a different setting, but to Kurt they represented the satisfaction of knowing how much Blaine cared for him, how he did everything to keep him safe. To Kurt they were words of love and he answered that everything was good, no pain.

Blaine smiled.

"Kurt, if you feel anything painful or any burning, let me know. Say it or tap my arm or back away and I will stop okay?" He was still a bit apprehensive about this.

"I will, but for now it's all right. Which way...?" Kurt asked, not sure how Blaine wanted to do this. Blaine smiled and thought about what Dr. Parsons had suggested for their first time doing this again.

"Lie down, let me get between your legs and we'll prop you up on a pillow, baby." Blaine told him. He grabbed his pillow from the head of the bed and when Kurt raised his hips, Blaine placed it under his bottom. He slid his hands down Kurt's legs, caressing the soft skin and cooing sweet things to keep Kurt calm. He leaned down, placing his mouth on Kurt's erection and sucking in just the head, stroking down the shaft as he swirled his tongue and sucked gently. Kurt moaned loudly and bucked his hips forward a little, stopping himself from doing more but sighing in momentary regret. He stroked his fingers down Blaine's cheek and moved his hands to card through the silky black curls.

"Are you ready for me, babe?" Blaine asked, the love shining in his eyes as he looked into Kurt's face to gauge how it was for him.

"Yes, Blaine," Kurt breathed out, his eyes dark and his lips red and swollen.

Blaine centered himself, first making sure he had enough lubricant, and slid in just past the sphincter muscle. It was tight and brought a shout to his lips, but he muffled it to concentrate so he didn't pound in and do damage again. He had that at the back of his mind, and it made him even more careful. Kurt thrust himself up to get more but Blaine knew him so well, he scrambled to hold him down by his hipbones as he continued to slide in. It was so much torture for the two of them, both wanting the immediacy of thrusting in sheer abandoned joy, but both knowing it must be done with finesse and a velvet hand so as to ease Kurt's body into complying.

The moment Blaine was in all the way, they both heaved a sigh of relief and looked at each other in triumph. Then Blaine began to slowly pull out, rocking his hips as he and Kurt felt the drag and friction. They closed their eyes to better experience it. With each thrust in and drag out, Kurt's body gave up more control and it became easier to maneuver. Kurt moaned as Blaine increased his speed, gritting his teeth not to push too hard.

"Kurt, oh...this is what love should always be, this feeling...this warmth, this closeness ...ahhh...Hnnnnnggghh..." Blaine's words disintegrated as the heat built in his pelvis and brain. All he could think of was how perfect this was, and it was Kurt that gave it to him. He closed his eyes and felt with all his concentrated senses how Kurt felt, how he could keep making Kurt feel so good…..

"Blaine, ohhhh... there, baby, right there...Hnggg, ahhhh...Oh, my love, you are so perfect to me...so good...ahhhhhh," Kurt rambled between moans and shouts, his hands gripping Blaine's biceps as he tried to remain in the same place, but Blaine's thrusting was moving him up the bed and he was going to hit the boards there if he wasn't careful. Blaine slowed for a moment, looking into Kurt's eyes to determine if he was in pain, but all he could see was a lust that could not be denied, so he licked down Kurt's neck and bit into the soft skin to leave a small purple love bite.

"Blaine, oh...it's getting so close. Are you close? What can I do?" Kurt panted, but realized that Blaine was just as close when he growled out a moan.

"Oh, god, Kurt...do you need me to touch you? Is it good for you, baby?" he blurted out, suddenly concerned when his climax was coming like a freight train and he knew there was not much time.

"No...I'm...Ahhhhhhhhhh" Kurt whined as his climax hit him and he spilled his semen in a hot wave between them. It was seeing Kurt's ecstasy etched on his face that was the final straw for Blaine as he felt his body gathering strength and then the amazing, almost frightening, heat that ran through his veins as his orgasm hit and all he could see was white spots behind his vision and he lost that tight control of his body he had fought to maintain for the last half hour.

They lay together, neither one moving except to exchange kisses on occasion and to whisper all their hopes and dreams to each other.

Hours later, as they lay in the clean bed planning their lives, Blaine took Kurt's hand to get his undivided attention. Kurt looked up, smiling and cocked his head to the side in question.

"Kurt, I know I tell you every day that I love you, I say that and other things a lot -mostly because they're all true. I don't know if by saying it so often I take the meaning out of it. I loved my father and I love Cooper. Aside from that, there are a handful of friends that I feel a loyalty for: Cookie and Shannon, August Waverly, some of the people I met and grew to love back in Lima. Burt and Carole are like family. Finn feels like a brother to me, and actually Puck does, too. They are some of the best people in the world, and I'm glad to call them all my friends or family. However, I love you beyond measure. It makes no real sense, I can honestly say I don't know how I could live without you Kurt. It's as if you were the very air I breath, my life's blood. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you.

"I know we will have disagreements, we may fight and lose sight of what is most important in our lives from time to time. That happens to everyone, but I pray it will never come between us. I know this is just making me sound like the clingy boyfriend that is holding on too tightly and suffocating you, and I need you to tell me when that happens. I know you let it build up in your nerves when I was so clingy in the hospital, I have the scars to prove it," He laughed and got a frown from Kurt at that. "Hey, if we can't laugh at the things life throws at us, we're not going to be as flexible as we need to be, my love. Come on, it will be a funny story to tell our kids!"

Kurt's eyes got wide and a strange look passed over his face, like a cloud over the sun. He looked away, pretending to see something out the window.

"Kurt? What did I say? What's wrong, Babe?" Blaine asked, a bit concerned.

"I...well,...do you think about children a lot, Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"If I'm going to be truthful – yes, I do. I know it's a strange thing for someone my age to be so interested in kids, but they have always just, I don't know...just been something I felt I wanted. What about you? I know we touched on the subject the day we brought JayJay home, but there must be a reason we haven't talked about it again," Blaine said.

"No, it is a bit too soon probably. I don't mind talking about it because I really do want children some day. My dream would be a little boy and a little girl. I'm okay with one or with ten you know. I never babysat when all my friends were doing that because I was so worried that my being gay would cause some backlash. If anything went wrong they would say it was because I was gay, so it scared me. But I really wanted to babysit, I like kids," Kurt said. He smiled over at Blaine.

"I would like that, too. Would you want to do a surrogate and use our sperm? That way the baby would be of our blood. Would that matter to you?" Blaine asked, curious.

"You know, I have given that some thought. If the little boy or girl had your genes, it would be so cute. I can just imagine a little Blaine in too-big pajamas, padding through the cabin, clutching a teddy bear to his chest, to climb into bed with us when the wolves howled down the canyon to scare him," Kurt mused, grinning at the face Blaine was making.

"I was thinking a little girl would be cute, dressed in impeccable fashion and with a sweep of gorgeous chestnut hair in waves down her back, her blue eyes snapping as she crossed her arms to give some fresh boyfriend the ice princess act..." Blaine started to say when a pillow hit him square in the chest and a pinch was administered to his thigh. "Yeouch!" he squealed, giggling.

"Blaine Anderson! That is just not nice. As if..." he stopped there and pulled Blaine close to him and kissed him thoroughly. "I do love you, Blaine. And you make me feel so special, every day of my life in every thing you say and do. There has never been a man so lucky," he couldn't finish he was so emotional, and settled for kissing Blaine again.

''You know, though, I wouldn't mind if the baby wasn't ours by blood. I am willing to adopt and I would love that baby just as much," Kurt said and a bright smile crossed Blaine's face.

"I believe that, too."

They just held hands for a while, thinking about the future and how it might just be populated with babies.

"Kurt, I know we're engaged and you didn't want to tell your dad over the phone, so when do we tell him?" Blaine asked. "And when do you want the wedding?"

Kurt thought for a while, then turned to his fiancé, "Dad and Carole are meeting us at the house in Philomath the day we move there to start school which will be the fifth of September. I think we should get settled in by the 25th of August to make sure everything is ready. I know our furniture got there and most of our other things, but I don't want any unpleasant surprises. Better to move in a few weeks early to be sure, okay?" Kurt said, being practical.

"I think we should tell them as soon as they get there. If that's alright with you? I'm anxious for my dad to know. I think he'll be excited for us, don't you?" Kurt was bouncing in happiness. He could hardly wait to tell his dad. Blaine smiled at his silly fiancé, enjoying his enthusiasm.

"Sounds like a plan. I think we need to get in to get our schedules and see our advisors as soon as possible after the campus opened to freshmen, which is August 26th. Okay. We can call Burt and Finn this weekend and set the plans. Are you okay with Puck living with us?" Blaine asked. He knew Kurt had some arguments with Finn's best friend the last time they were all together and living with those two at war was nothing to look forward to.

"Oh, we'll be fine. I've known Noah Puckerman since he was five years old and gave Rachel Berry an Indian burn for taking my place in line when we were all in kindergarten together. His Gramma Sofia is probably the most upstanding person, not to mention the wisest person, I ever met in my life. No, I think we'll be fine. Noah upsets me when I know how intelligent he is, but he hides it or wastes it. As long as he applies himself, I know he'll do just fine in life, and I plan to be that burr under his saddle to remind him of what he's truly worth," Kurt said with absolute conviction.

Blaine smiled. If anyone could inspire Noah Puckerman to do well in his life, it was Kurt Elizabeth Hummel.

They talked into the night, happy to be planning the next four years. While they had every intention of getting married, they agreed it would be at least a year or more before the big event. They had big plans and every good thing would come to them in time they believed. It was with happy smiles on their faces that they fell asleep sometime after midnight, tangled together like yarn in a basket.

_Several weeks later:_

"Hey, Blaine! How long have you been up, your side of the bed is ice cold," Kurt complained, unhappy to wake up without his human teddy bear wrapped in his arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry Babe, I couldn't sleep so I got up and made us some cinnamon rolls, I can come back to cuddle for a little while if you'd like," he said, seeing Kurt's lower lip come out. "Hey, you know you're gonna trip over that lip if you stick it out any further," Blaine teased.

"Am not."

Blaine got into the bed and walked on hands and knees over to Kurt and took the offending lip between his own and nibbled at it, making Kurt giggle.

"No! No kisses until I brush my teeth, my sweet prince. You can just spoon with me for a few minutes until I'm awake enough to get out of bed," Kurt smiled. Blaine did as he was told, shaking the bed a bit with laughter.

Barely half an hour later, they were up and dressed, washed and fed. Blaine was sitting at the table, resting his elbows and his chin was in his hand.

"I want to show you something today if you feel up to taking a ride on the mules," he said.

"Sure, where do you want to go?" Kurt asked. He wasn't the world's best rider, but he could manage to stay on Caesar or Claudius if need be. They had taken a few mule rides over the summer and Kurt enjoyed them more than he ever thought he would.

"It's just a place farther up in the mountains, but I've been there a lot and the mules need some exercise," Blaine said. He seemed a little melancholy the past few days, Maybe getting out would cheer him up, Kurt thought.

Riding Caesar, Kurt followed Blaine as he went up another barely-there path. The mules didn't seem to have any problem making the climb, although they stopped to drink at every stream or brook they passed. At the top of one of the high ridges, Blaine pulled Claudius to a stop and got down. Kurt stopped but waited for Blaine to come catch him. Even though his knee was better, it was still weak and jumping to the ground off the back of the large mule wasn't ideal.

Blaine didn't let go of Kurt's waist, he just hung on and pulled Kurt towards him until he could kiss him. Blaine got the saddlebag off of his mules, then they took off the saddles and bridles and left the two animals with long lead ropes and halters.

Kurt put out the blanket in a clearing and they set about getting their lunch. It was cold venison sandwiches and apples, a salad with fresh picked veggies from the garden at the back of the cook house and cold water. As a special treat, Shannon had given them some slices of watermelon that had come in a food shipment on the train.

The boys sat enjoying their meal, the fresh crisp air the perfect thing to make their appetites peak. They sat on the blanket after eating, just listening to the birds chirping or singing when they heard a tapping coming from a nearby tree. Kurt turned to see a large black and white bird with a bright red head hammering his beak against a pine tree they were sitting near.

"Is that a woodpecker?" Kurt asked, looking at Blaine. He nodded, a smile gracing his face as he watched the bird try again and again to tap the elusive bug from the bark. The poor bird finally gave up and flew away.

"Yeah, it's a Pileated Woodpecker. They are big pests sometimes, loud in the morning just when I want to sleep in!" Blaine grinned.

Kurt was distracted by a squirrel, not a flying variety, chattering in another tree, obviously cussing out a tiny snake that was gliding along the branch toward something the squirrel held dear.

In the background Kurt heard singing and asked Blaine what kind of bird it was. Blaine giggled.

"I fail to see what 's so funny, Mr. Anderson," Kurt huffed. He never saw the joke when it was on him.

"C'mere and I'll show you," Blaine said, getting up and offering his hand to Kurt. Kurt took it and they walked across the meadow grass to the edge of a mountain lake. Blaine let go of his hand and squatted down in the grass beside the small lake, his eyes bright and his attention on the ground. Kurt just stood back, wondering what Blaine was up to. He could hear the singing more here than he could by the meadow, so he assumed it might be some sort of waterbird.

Blaine pounced suddenly, then looked carefully under his hand and frowned. He squatted down again and Kurt watched him. In a few minutes he pounced again and a grin appeared on his face.

"Here is your bird, Kurt!" he called and Kurt followed him over to the edge of the water. Blaine opened his hands a tiny crack, just enough for Kurt to see what was in his hand. It was a tiny green frog. Kurt looked at Blaine as if asking him to explain.

"This, my friend, is a Pacific Tree Frog. He's looking for a mate and the lady frogs are partial to men who can sing," he said in a story-telling voice. Kurt grinned and held out his hands. Blaine placed the frog in his hand and Kurt got a good look at it before it hopped out of his hand to go home.

"This is a magical place, Blaine. I don't think I ever want to leave it," he said with conviction, kissing his fiancé before hiking back to the blanket to rest for a few minutes. Blaine got a look of absolute bliss on his face. He had probably never heard any words so welcomed in his life. Aside from telling him how much he loved him, having Kurt say he never wanted to leave the place Blaine called home - -well, that in itself was a magical thing. He smiled and tried to get his heart to stop beating so hard.

"I'm glad, Kurt. I want you to be happy here. It's most likely the most important thing in my whole life, you know," Blaine whispered to Kurt.

"Oh, Babe, I was only telling the truth."

"We have a ways further to go, Kurt, but it isn't too far. We can walk and just leave the mules here to graze for a while if you think your knee is up to it," Blaine offered.

Kurt was fine with that, he knew Blaine wouldn't take him too far and risk damaging the knee. Blaine smiled a sad smile and held out his hand. Kurt wondered at the sadness, but Blaine had been melancholy for days and Kurt had yet to get a reason out of him. He took the offered hand and they began walking up the slope to the topmost part of the mountain. It wasn't too high, not above timberline at all, but far enough on his sore leg.

At the top, Blaine's eyes swelled with unshed tears and Kurt moved behind him to put his arms around his shoulders and hold him tight. He looked at what Blaine saw in front of them and suddenly understood. There was a large white granite rock at the crest of the hill with one smooth side. Engraved on the monument:

**Sterling Blaine Anderson **

**January 27, 1957 – June 19, 2007**

**Beloved Father, Friend, and Hero**

It all made sense now. Today was June 19th. Blaine let go of Kurt's hand and walked to the gravestone, brushing tears away as he knelt down and spoke very quietly for a few minutes. He was lost in his task when Kurt heard the mules making a racket down the path. They didn't sound as if there was any trouble, just their happy-to-see-you noises. In a few minutes he heard footsteps coming up the path.

"Hi Kurt. Blaine, I knew I'd find you here," Cooper said in a quiet voice and walked nearer to his little brother. They stepped into each other's arms and just stood, holding each other for a very long time. Kurt walked over to a broken stone wall and sat down, not wishing to intrude on the brother's grief. They finally broke apart, Cooper patting Blaine's back and walking toward Kurt.

He sat down next to Kurt, putting a hand on his leg and looking intently into Kurt's eyes.

"Thank you for being here for my brother. In the time I've known you, you have brought such joy to his heart – a joy I never believed he would be capable of again in this life. He told me he was going to ask you to marry him, and now I can see by the rings on your hands that he has. I want you to know, Kurt, that you have my blessing and I know our father would give you his, too," Cooper put his arms around Kurt, hugging him tightly to his chest and dropping his head to Kurt's shoulder for a moment before letting go and standing up.

"I'm going back, you'd better go to Blaine. He needs you right now, Kurt. I think he wants to introduce you to Dad. And thank you," Cooper turned and started walking back to where he's tied Maximus. He heard Kurt as he walked away. It was faint, but he heard Kurt tell him thank you.

Kurt turned and hurried to Blaine's side, taking the grieving boy into his arms and kissing his sweet face, telling him it would be all right.

Author's Note: I borrowed the term "Ander-Conda" from fellow fan fiction author, Anna (youreawfuliloveyou). I read it in her story "Itchin' For a Photograph" and it just made me laugh, so I wrote and asked her permission to use it. Thank you, Anna!


	29. Chapter 29 - The Stars Above

After visiting Blaine's father's grave, the mule ride home was quiet. Kurt's leg was a little sore, and he limped a bit coming back down the path to the mules, so Blaine asked him if he would like to double in Caesar for the ride home. Kurt accepted and Blaine held him tightly as the two of them meandered down the mountain. Kurt curled himself into Blaine's chest and laid his head on his shoulder. They sang quiet songs, slow and a little bluesy, until the came upon the main path home past the rabbit snares. Kurt sat up straighter and put a leg on each side of the saddle so as to take some pressure off of Blaine.

"Blaine? I just wanted to thank you for letting me go with you today. I know it was hard for you to go up there, but you do it every year, don't you?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah. I went up all the time at first, like I could get closer to him or something. Cooper had to come and drag me back to the cabin. But over time, it's now just on June 19th. Sometimes I go and there are already flowers on the grave...I've never seen anyone but Cooper there, though," Blaine said in a quiet voice, then as if to himself he said, "Although I'm pretty sure who left the flowers."

Kurt tightened his grip on Blaine's hand he was holding. "Lenore."

"Lenore," Blaine confirmed.

"I leave flowers for my mom, too," Kurt said. He was worried that Blaine might think that he was comparing the two deaths, as if his having lost his mother was somehow equivalent to Blaine losing his father. It wasn't in the least. Kurt just understood a lot more than most of Blaine's friends. Blaine sat next to Kurt, melting into the warm embrace and feeling as if this was the first time since his dad died that he felt truly safe and loved.

The days marched on, each one a celebration by the boys of their love of each other and how close two people could come to be. Kurt and Blaine played and talked and got serious and planned. Their entire lives together had been mapped out a thousand ways, then taken apart and done all over again.

"I'm getting tired...are we going to stop for a rest soon?" Kurt asked again. He was getting better in terms of stamina, but he'd done a lot of the exercises last night and then hadn't slept well resulting in his cranky demeanor this morning. Blaine was used to it, but this didn't mean he liked it one bit. Ignoring the mood sometimes helped for a while because as the day wore on, Kurt's mood almost always lifted and they had fun. Of course, there were those days when the bad mood lasted for the whole day and in to the next. Blaine could live without those.

"I think we're getting close, Babe. There are a few more rocky places we need to get past leading the mules, then the path straightens out and it'll be smooth sailing. Okay?" Blaine said, trying to keep the tone of his voice from betraying his irritation.

"Okay, Blaine. C'mon Caesar, let's get moving," Kurt said, coaxing the burly animal past the outcropping of rocks and on to the path beyond it.

The boys had been walking and riding for about two hours. A few days ago Kurt had expressed an interest in seeing more of the country around the camp and Blaine had jumped on that idea and planned out a two-day trek into the prettiest part of the forest. The plans sounded wonderful, the images that flashed through Kurt's mind were idyllic and amazing. Hiking through the forest, even with the mules carrying the bulk of the equipment and sometimes the boys, wasn't as romantic as Kurt's fantasy suggested.

"Kurt, can you stop at the next group of Douglas furs up ahead?" Blaine asked, indicating the conifers with the longer needles up the road.

"Sure thing, Blaine," he returned and walked on, finally stopping at the group of trees.

"Ah, now, I need to adjust something here..." Blaine said, walking up to Kurt and taking Caesar's reins in his hand and tying them to a tree. Claudius' reins were tied to Caesar's saddle, so he was fine.

"Okay, I think we can start right here.." Blaine said in a somewhat lower voice and he placed his hands on Kurt's back and brought him closer. Kurt barely had time to take in a breath before Blaine's mouth was on his, kissing him deeply as his body was brought flush against his lover's and he sighed into Blaine. Kurt's bad mood disappeared with the wind and he was fully invested in this one kiss. It went on for quite some time, the mules shifting their weight from one hoof to another in bored fidgeting as the two boys kissed and hugged for ten minutes.

"There, feel better now?" Blaine asked and Kurt realized just how grouchy he'd been.

"Yes, much better. Consider me soundly reprimanded, my sweet. Really, Blaine, I am sorry about my attitude this morning. I know better, and I'm so glad you didn't just get angry. You had every right to, you know," Kurt confessed, feeling guilty and a little sad. They had less than a month before they had to report to college and Kurt was wasting it being grumpy. He leaned back into Blaine's arms and closed his eyes.

"Blaine, I really am sorry. I can ask you to forgive me, and I know you will, but I need to condition myself not to act like a spoiled little brat. I could use your help, it's been hard for me to recognize when it starts. I love you, baby, and maybe you could let me know when it starts and I can do something to change it right away?"

"Okay. I'm no saint myself but I can try. I love you, too, Kurt. Let's get going, it really isn't very far from here," Blaine said, cheered by the fact that Kurt recognized he needed to work on the problem. Blaine was willing to do whatever Kurt might want, but was worried he might have some irritating or destructive habits that he could use some help in improving. He resolved to ask Kurt about them later.

Another half an hour found the mules and their riders stepping out onto a high mountain meadow. At the edge as they walked in were a dozen or so elk sitting or grazing in the shadows of the trees across the valley in front of them. Luckily for the boys, a lake divided them from the elk. At the tree line at the edge of the meadow Kurt could see some birds in the branches and some small animals playing near the water of the lake, but as they walked into the meadow, the animals froze, then faded into the grass. Kurt looked at Blaine to see if he had noticed them and was glad to catch a happy grin on his face. His head tilted to one side and Kurt smiled back.

"Those are fishers. A kind of weaselly type creature you don't want angry at you," Blaine said with a smile. "They eat rabbits and squirrels and mice."

Kurt looked at him for a minute. "If their name is 'fisher', don't they eat fish?"

"Nope. I mean, I guess if one was starving it might eat an available fish, but as a rule they don't. Although I did see one eat a snake once." Blaine related.

"They have snakes here?" Kurt said, looking around as if they were thick on the ground.

"Yeah, but just garter snakes and king snakes. Nothing to bother you. Cooper told me they do have Western Rattlers, but I've never seen one. I guess if you hear a rattle, you better freeze, okay?" Blaine told his friend.

"Oh. Well, okay...I think we need to make sure the zipper on the tent is secure tonight, right?" he asked and Blaine nodded.

"We can eat first or we can set up the tent. Which would you prefer?" Blaine asked, reaching out to hold Kurt's hand for a moment. They both tended to touch each other a lot, ever since the first days of being together in the cabin and all through the school year at McKinley. It wasn't a conscious thing, just a gravitational pull that neither one could resist. It had increased since they had been alone so much with nobody to deem it necessary to make scathing comments about it.

"Let's get the mules comfortable, then get the tent set up I think. I want to clean some of this sweat off of myself, then we can relax and eat. Does that sound good?" Kurt asked.

"Sounds great!" Blaine said.

It didn't take long for them to get Caesar and Claudius on pickets to graze and then get the tent set up and zipped shut against the snakes Kurt was imagining. By the time he was done, Blaine had their fishing equipment out and was fixing them up with bobbers and flies.

"Hey, that sounds like fun...let's get some fish for lunch. We all know who pulled the biggest fish out of the river last fall when Dad was here," Kurt grinned, gently kidding Blaine.

"Yeah, well, chinook salmon don't live in mountain lakes – not even in Oregon, my pet. We'll see who can pull lunch out of this lake, okay?" Blaine teased. They walked to the edge of the lake, climbing out on the rocks that went into the lake to get a good fishing spot. Half an hour later, Kurt got his first strike. He snapped his wrist, setting the hook and brought in the fish just the way Blaine had taught him. It was a decent sized rainbow and Blaine scooped it out of the water with his net, then set about fixing the pole for Kurt to put back In the water. Kurt picked up the fish to gut it and Blaine stopped him.

"You don't want to gut that fish so close to where we're camping, it might bring bears or cougars. We will walk quite a ways away to do it when we have enough for lunch so we don't attract the more dangerous visitors," Blaine said with a very serious look on his face.

They pulled three more nice trout out of the lake and one sucker which they threw back. After walking ten minutes away to the other side of some rocks to gut and clean the fish, they walked back to the campground and fixed a delicious lunch with the fresh trout and some things they brought with them. They sat by the fire for a while and then went for a walk in the trees across the meadow.

Walking under the branches of the beautiful deciduous trees, Kurt was mesmerized by all the things he saw. The trees here weren't pine. It was a mixed forest of birch, ash, oaks, locust, myrtle, a few aspen, and some scrubby bitter cherry trees. As they walked hand in hand, Blaine noticed the dappled sunshine on their skin as the sun dodged the big leaves of the trees that were swaying in the light breeze. It was a hot summer this year, but the high mountains made it pleasantly warm instead of murky and moist as it did at lower altitudes. There were colorful birds everywhere: chickadees, warblers, nuthatches, sparrows, wrens, and finches all singing and chirping in the distance. Kurt loved the bright blue ones with a smoky gray crest on their heads and pointed one out to Blaine.

"Oh, Camp Robbers!" he said, amusement in his eyes. Kurt smiled at the obvious joy in Blaine's face as he told Kurt about the bird. "There are several types of birds called 'camp robbers': gray jays, magpies, some others, but this fellow is a Steller's Jay. I think they are much more dapper than their cousins the blue jays although they are about even in the annoying call and screech department. These guys are noisy!"

Kurt grinned and they continued their walk until Kurt saw so many baby rabbits he had to comment.

"I thought rabbit parents kept their babies home most of the time, but I've seen so many baby rabbits here, don't you think it's strange?"

"If they were actual babies, yes I would think it was strange. Those are pygmy rabbits. You don't see them further down the mountains, I think they must just live here," Blaine said. "I've never snared one, so I don't know if they taste the same, but I imagine they do."

By this time they were back at the camp, having walked in a big circle. Blaine had an activity set for the afternoon and he watched Kurt to see if he seemed overtired. His leg was getting better in leaps and bounds, but even the doctor said it might be a year before it was completely healed. Kurt didn't seem to be too tired, so Blaine went over to their pack saddles and got out a long package made of canvas and walked across the meadow. He set up a few paper targets, pinning them to trees with thumbtacks he'd brought.

Back by Kurt's side, he undid the canvas package and pulled out a beautiful yew recurve bow and a quiver of arrows. Kurt's eyes lit up. He had taken a class in archery at school and because he was interested in it, he and Mercedes had taken several more classes at the recreation center in Lima. He was actually a pretty good shot, thank you very much. Blaine was a good teacher. When he was teaching Kurt to tie flies or cast a fishing line he was patient and encouraging. Kurt enjoyed learning new things and they tried to introduce each other to new experiences whenever possible. However, Blaine did have a competitive edge and it sometimes got to Kurt a little. Blaine was very good at a number of activities and lorded his wins over Kurt from time to time. Never anything cruel or mean, just that air of superiority that tended to crawl under Kurt's skin.

Kurt smiled to himself and decided not to mention his classes or prowess with the bow for now.

"This is my bow that my dad gave me for my birthday the year I turned twelve," Blaine said, handling it with gentle hands, running his fingers over the satiny wood in reverence. "I'll show you how to do it if you'd like," Blaine offered and Kurt nodded for him to go ahead.

Blaine put on the bracer to protect his forearm from the string snapping and then put on the finger tab before tightening the bow string. He nocked the arrow and pulled the string, aiming at one of the paper targets and hitting the edge of the circle. He smiled at his accomplishment and turned to Kurt.

"Do you think you'd like to try?" he asked.

"Please!" Kurt said, anxious to try his skill. Blaine helped him set his feet shoulder-length apart and then put the bracer and finger tab on for his protection. He stood close behind Kurt, his arms around him as he showed him how to aim and the best way to hold the bow and figure out his dominant eye. He went over the feel of using the power of the trapezius muscles to pull the arrow. He didn't let it fly, but eased the pressure off of the bow string in order to let Kurt try it himself.

"Don't worry about hitting the target the first few times, just get a feel for the bow before we talk about aiming and things, okay?" Blaine encouraged. He was smiling as Kurt followed his instructions. He shook his arms a bit to loosen his muscles and picked up the recurve bow, taking a 28 inch arrow with red fletching.

"Alright, point the arrow to the ground and tip it just a little clockwise of vertical. Right. Now put the shaft of the arrow on the arrow shelf...this thing right here, and nock it onto place on the bowstring. Make sure the cockfeather is pointing away from the bow so the fletching will clear the arrow rest as it goes past. Right," Blaine continued, his arms around Kurt as he showed him each correct step. Kurt leaned back a tiny bit to feel Blaine, the warmth of his body so comforting to Kurt. Blaine left a kiss on Kurt's cheek and stepped back.

Taking careful aim, Kurt could feel his muscles bunching in all the right places, the balance felt correct, the target was in his site. It was like riding a bicycle: Kurt had not shot an arrow in over two years but the correct way to do it all came flooding back into his muscle memory as he looked down the course Blaine had set up to the paper target. The breeze had died down and everything was perfect as Kurt loosed the arrow. It hit the tree behind the target with a solid 'thwack'!"

Kurt lowered the bow, glancing over at Blaine and trying not to look anything but amazed when Blaine's shocked expression turned to stare at Kurt.

"Wow, that was so lucky! I bet that felt great! Let's try it again, okay?" Blaine's eyes sparkled as he smiled at Kurt. He handed him another arrow, this one with blue and yellow fletching. Kurt lined himself up and pulled back, trying to keep the grin off of his face. He needn't have worried, Blaine had his eyes glued to the target. Kurt loosed the arrow and another satisfying 'thwack!' sounded down the course as the arrow hit just millimeters from the first arrow he'd shot.

Blaine's mouth was wide open, staring at the target, as he tried to make sense of how Kurt could be so good on his first try. As he stood there, staring, a third arrow hit just a few millimeters above, the arrow still vibrating as Blaine turned to look at the huge grin on Kurt's face.

"You are a great teacher, Blaine! I don't know how I could have done that without your instruction!" Kurt crowed in mock appreciation. Blaine glared at Kurt.

"Okay, Mr. Cleverboots. How long did you take lessons?" Blaine asked, tapping his foot in irritation and embarrassment.

"Ah...Mercedes and I took them for about three years," Kurt divulged and then backed up a step as Blaine started forward, fire in his eyes. Kurt turned to run and tripped over the quiver, landing on his butt in the meadow grass, Blaine landing close beside him and rolling on top of him.

Blaine's fingers found Kurt's ribs and dug in, tickling as he pushed Kurt to the ground and climbing on top of him, his knees in the soft soil as he straddled Kurt's thighs. Kurt was gasping for air as he tried to protect his tender sides from the strong fingers bent on making him laugh.

"Stop!" Kurt gasped again. He hated being tickled. Blaine giggled and leaned forward, pulling back his fingers as he shifted his hands to Kurt's shoulders to hold him to the ground.

"How do you feel about this?" Blaine asked as his mouth fell on Kurt's and the kiss got harder, Blaine's soft lips moving over Kurt's as he licked at Kurt's lips and finally slid his tongue in. It wasn't hard and rough as Kurt had expected, no. Blaine had given up on the tickling and just kissed Kurt, rocking his hips back and forth in a slow, methodical way. A small whine escaped Blaine's throat and he pressed down harder against Kurt's body, sliding up a bit from his thighs to a place with more friction and better prospects. Kurt moaned in an appreciative manner and Blaine lowered his chest to lay on Kurt with all of his weight, holding him down.

Kurt pulled back, gasping once again for air.

"Blaine...ah...Blaine..." Kurt said, but didn't try to speak again as he closed his eyes and bucked up a little, trying to accommodate the rutting hips pressing into him. He opened his eyes to see Blaine's face just as his lover buried his nose in Kurt's neck, kissing the tender flesh he found there. Kurt saw a movement from the corner of his eye and froze, grabbing Blaine's shoulders and tightening his hold. Blaine hesitated, this was not what he expected – Kurt was still and he heard a gasp before the pain in his shoulders from Kurt's fingernails digging in startled him.

"Don't make a sound," Kurt whispered under his breath. Blaine started to ask why and Kurt's grip got even tighter. "Don't even breathe." He said in a breathy whisper Blaine could barely make out when he felt Kurt start to tremble. Blaine heard Kurt's breaths increase, but realized it was not Kurt but something very close – something that smelled ghastly. He could hear snuffling from maybe a hundred feet away, then some clanging of pans or something. Kurt was holding him so tightly, so closely he could not move his head to look – but he thought he knew what it was. He remained as still as possible, holding Kurt so tightly he could feel his heart hammering into his chest and wondered if Kurt could feel his.

Blaine knew it wasn't likely they would be attacked by the bear. Bears were, for the most part, peace-loving creatures and would probably amble on down the road when he discovered that there was no food to be had in camp. He and Kurt had moved all the food to a tree a few hundred feet away and all the garbage, like fish bones, was buried a few hundred yards in the other direction.

The black bear wasn't really hungry, he was just curious. People didn't venture into his neighborhood very often. Since there was nothing to eat and all the smells and noises were accounted for, the bear would have probably been gone in a little while. A certain cantankerous mule decided to take matters into his own...ah...hooves- so to speak.

Caesar was not happy about the bear. He was even less happy about the snake he had been eying from his patch of meadow grass. The combination just drove him a bit over the edge and the mule started heehawing for all he was worth, his loud and obnoxious voice echoing all over the camp as he pawed the ground. Claudius, never one to be left out of the fun, started his own cacophony and that is when the bear had experienced quite enough of the intruders. He took one look to see if the monsters were going to follow him and he took off as fast as he could go – which is much faster than most people believe they can go – and high-tailed it out of there.

Kurt and Blaine heard the bear leave, but it was ten full minutes before they were able to breathe properly again and move to get up. They never let go of each other, sitting in the soft warm soil and the thin meadow grass just looking at each other and realizing they were now safe. They sat, facing each other and holding each other so tightly until their breathing was normal and their hearts stopped racing.

Finally getting up, they walked around for a few minutes trying to get their circulation going again.

"Blaine, ah...how dangerous was that bear?" Kurt asked a while later while they moved the mules closer to the tent and Blaine made sure the rifle he'd brought with him was loaded and ready just in case. They had eaten their dinner by the lake so there wouldn't be any food smells in camp.

"Not very. It was a very young male, but not so young as to have his mama around. He didn't look hungry, just curious, and we weren't looking aggressive to him. I think there was very little chance he would have bothered us at all, even if Caesar didn't scare him away. Black bears aren't grumpy like grizzlies," Blaine said.

"Are we going to be safe tonight to sleep here?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah. The mules will let us know if anything comes near enough to be concerned about. We don't have any food or garbage in camp to attract them, so I think we'll be fine. And if he comes back, I'll kick his butt if he comes near you, my love. You know I will never let anything hurt you, right?" Blaine said, wrapping his arms around Kurt.

"Yeah, I know. Same for me, Blaine. Can you shoot that rifle?" he asked.

"Yes. I don't do a lot of hunting, but I can shoot it. It's a 30.06, so it would kill a bear from across this meadow if we need it. I am a good shot, in case that's your next question. Now, don't tell me...you and Mercedes took target shooting back in Ohio, right?" Blaine asked, a smirk on his face.

"As a matter of fact..." Kurt smirked right back. "No. I have fired a pistol when I went with my dad and some of his friends a few times, but other than that, no."

They elected to stay in their clothes just in case, and Blaine shook out all the bedclothes and sleeping bags just in case a snake came into the tent. It was cool enough that they zipped the sleeping bags together and slept together. Before they slept, Blaine banked the fires they had in firepits on each side of the camp. He pointed out the tiny bats they could just barely see in the sky, snatching insects as they swooped through the trees.

Kurt sat on a log, leaning against the tree behind him and Blaine was sitting on the ground in front of him. Blaine leaned back between Kurt's legs and his arms wrapped automatically around Blaine. He kissed the back of Blaine's neck in the tender place he loved, on the soft skin behind his ear. Blaine turned to give Kurt a real kiss and they held it for a while before a loud screeching began that startled them before Kurt realized he had heard it before.

"An owl, right?" He asked and Blaine smiled.

"Yeppers. Good call. Now, can you hear that in the far distance?" Blaine asked and sat still for Kurt to listen.

There was a musical singing howl heard way off.

"Wolves?" Kurt asked.

"No. Wolves have a deeper, more resonant sound. Those are coyotes," Blaine said, smiling.

"Too many clouds to see many stars tonight, I guess," Kurt said, looking up. He spotted a small cluster of them as the clouds moved for a moment, but couldn't make out what they were.

"That's okay, all the stars I need are in your eyes, baby," Blaine said as he smiled up at Kurt.

"Thank you. Shall we go to bed now?" Kurt asked, getting up and offering his hand to Blaine to help him up.

They laid down on the sleeping bag, cuddled together, kissing before they went to sleep. It was quiet and they were just enjoying each other's company, tired from all the walking today. Blaine moved into the 'little spoon' position and scooted his butt back into Kurt's hips, his back against Kurt's chest. Kurt put his arms around Blaine and kissed his neck. He closed his eyes to try and go to sleep. An hour later he realized he was still awake. He could tell Blaine was sleeping as he said something in his sleep, then smacked his lips and smiled – a gentle curving of his lips. Kurt couldn't help but kiss the corner of his mouth.

"I love you so much, baby," he breathed into Blaine's ear and even in his sleep Blaine must have heard it because he snuggled his shoulders back into Kurt before relaxing his muscles again.

Kurt scooted down a bit more in the sleeping bag, so his hands were even with Blaine's hips instead of his waist. He put his right hand over Blaine's side to hold him closer and Blaine sighed in contentment. Kurt's hand moved, ever so slowly and carefully until it was at the edge of Blaine's sweat pants. Kurt's fingers slid in under the waistband and down the front of the pants, but stopped abruptly. His mind had one word: commando.

Blaine might be wearing sweats, but he was not wearing a stitch under them. Kurt's fingers found his soft cock, nestled against his warm, sleepy body. He curved his fingers around it, gently stroking as he used a feather-light touch to caress it. Blaine was still, but moved his butt back closer to Kurt's crotch and let a small, sweet little whine escape. If Kurt hadn't been listening intently for it, he would never have heard it.

Kurt considered just letting go and going back to sleep, but then he could feel the blood rushing to fill his cock as a voice, heavy with sleep, whispered, "Oh, Kurt...Mmmm."

He leaned forward a little, taking Blaine's earlobe in his teeth and then blowing warm breath in his ear before sliding his tongue down Blaine's neck. He listened to his breath catch and another small moan come, his hips pressing into Blaine for a much needed bit of friction as he continued to caress and fondle the organ in his hand. Kurt had also been soft a few moments ago, but his blood was now singing in his veins and he brushed against Blaine's backside.

Blaine reached back and pulled aside a cheek, letting Kurt's cock rest just inside the split of his cheeks – not penetrating, but just in the warmth of his body.

They continued to share their bodies, not thrusting or pumping or anything like that. It was gentle and sweet and Kurt kept kissing Blaine, down his neck and across his shoulders. It was quiet here, but the quiet was deceiving because as they listened to the night distinct sounds came to them across the meadow. There was some kind of night bird, a trilling sort of sound. Kurt thought that perhaps it wasn't a bird at all but one of the singing frogs Blaine had shown him. There were coyotes a far distance away, yipping into a howl and even farther away there was an answering sound: still a howl but deeper and richer. Those must be wolves, Kurt thought.

There were little shuffling sounds as if small feet were disturbing the soil around them, tiny mice and voles scampering with the pygmy bunnies, maybe a marten or skunk. The breeze was in the trees, softly moving the leaves and twigs into a sort of lullaby. Kurt could smell the flowers that bloomed in abundance all over the countryside. Flowering trees and bushes and all sorts of native plants to make the Oregon meadows and forest the most beautiful place Kurt had ever seen.

He could feel Blaine's fingers, one on is hip tracing patterns on his skin. His other hand was placed softly on Kurt's own hand as he continued to caress Blaine's cock to a state of arousal. Nature had a pattern: the little creatures around them, the sounds of the breeze, even the water as it lapped on the shore of the lake had a rhythm and Kurt found himself moving his hand to that very rhythm as he tried so hard to make Blaine feel good.

It was slow, but eventually the two lovers had brought each other to the point where they needed more. Blaine pulled away from Kurt, reaching over to the bags that sat beside the sleeping bags and found the lubricant they brought. He turned in Kurt's arms, kissing him softly on the lips, moving his mouth to accommodate Kurt as they did the dance of love and passion. Blaine's tongue was warm and soft in Kurt's mouth and he moaned at the sensuous feel of it. They kissed for a while, still touching and rubbing, soothing and petting. Kurt took the tube of lubricant and squeezed some onto his fingers, sliding them along the place he knew would bring Blaine to his knees if he were standing. Blaine pressed into him for a moment, then moved his hips back to Kurt's hand in invitation.

As he prepared his lover, Kurt was still stroking him and licking kitten kisses over his chest, concentrating on his sensitive nipples. Blaine whined and pressed Kurt's head closer for a second, his fingers in his glossy chestnut hair.

When he judged Blaine was ready, he turned him over and as they both laid on their left sides he slid inside. Blaine pushed back, his body craving the stroke and feel of Kurt's erect cock entering him.

"Aaahhhhh..." Blaine moaned, not paying attention to what was escaping his throat to add to the sounds of the night. Every sound he made was fuel to the fire in Kurt's belly, the catalyst to his next thrust. While it all started out soft and slow, the seduction and need were in control now and each move was an instinct as they tried to give each other everything they could muster, to share everything they were with the one person they chose to be with for the rest of their lives.

Kurt had tender and romantic feelings for Blaine and wanted it all to be gentle and careful. Instinct did not work that way at all and as Kurt unwrapped his inhibitions to share his soul with Blaine, instinct made him act in ways he had virtually no control over. With one hand on Blaine's belly to give him support and the other cradling his erection, Kurt pushed in and felt Blaine gasp. His outward breath carried with it a plea for more and Kurt pushed in again, searching for the correct angle and then let loose a moan of his own as he felt Blaine react.

It got harder to maintain the rhythm on his side, so Kurt rolled Blaine onto his belly, still giving him what he needed. It was so good for both of them, but suddenly Kurt needed to see Blaine's face and pulled out, gently turning Blaine over to face him and stopping to kiss his forehead and whisper in his ear before coming back and entering him once again. Blaine pulled his lover closer and flexed his muscles to meet Kurt as he pushed in.

It didn't take long after that, Blaine meeting Kurt with every thrust until he came, white light flashing behind his eyes. It was harder for Blaine to keep up his rhythm after that, but his love for Kurt and his sense of fairness demanded he did. He had barely let that cross his mind when Kurt staggered to a stop and clenched his muscles, looking deep into Blaine's eyes and mouthing the words 'I love you' as he pushed deep into Blaine for the last time and spasms wracked his body and he closed his eyes to better absorb the trembling shock of his orgasm.

Afterwards, they sat by the fire in front of the tent for a while, holding each other and just being together in this wide wilderness. Blaine wrapped his blanket a little tighter around Kurt's shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek. They got up, still looking at the stars above them and walked slowly back to the tent.

Author's Note:

_**This chapter was inspired by my friend, Rosiecarr, who spent her childhood in the Wild North Woods and shared the joy of that with me. Love you!**_

_**And thank you to my darling beta, Michelle, who clears her schedule and moves heaven and Earth to accommodate my crazy and sporadic writing. Love you!**_

_**I am very sorry to say that I will be posting the second half of this chapter tomorrow, **__**then the story will go on hiatus for a short time**__**. It might seem like a long time, but it has to be. I need to take care of some personal health issues and will be back as soon as I can, and I promise to NEVER abandon the story. Do you trust me? I hope so.**_

_**So - - -tomorrow a special chapter and then a break for a while and I will be back. Thank you to everyone that supported me through this story and cheered me up when it felt like it wasn't worth it. You made it worth it.**_


	30. Chapter 30 - And the Earth Below

Something was bumping on the side of the tent. Kurt woke up when his bedroll started to move and he felt the tent shake.

"Blaine!" he said, his hands on Blaine's shoulders.

"Claudius!" Blaine shouted and the shaking stopped immediately.

"Whoa...that scared me for a second," Kurt laughed.

"He knows we're in here, he just wants company," Blaine said.

Kurt giggled and pulled Blaine over on top of him.

"Did I tell you today how much I love you?" he asked.

"No, but then we just woke up," Blaine grinned. "Tell me, why do you love me?"

"Because you make me laugh. Because you worry about me needlessly. Because you know the names of all the birds in the forest," Kurt rattled off, counting on his fingers. "But the most important one might be how much in love with me you are, because you tell me in a hundred ways every day."

Kurt reached up, holding Blaine around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss. Blaine went willingly, wanting more than anything to touch those beautiful pink lips. They kissed for a while, rolling onto their sides and holding each other tightly.

"Let's get up and moving...I'm starving!" Blaine said, getting a giggle in return and Kurt made comments about him always being on the verge of starvation.

Sitting by the lake, the sun dawning over the mountains, Blaine was leaning against the trunk of a tree. Kurt was sitting between his legs, resting his arms on Blaine's thighs. He turned in place, seeking a kiss before he went back to his fishing rod, tying the fly with the proper knots. They had caught almost enough trout for breakfast, so Kurt was taking his time – his mind was on Blaine anyway, not the fish.

After they each caught one more fish, the sun was almost above the horizon and they sat back, just enjoying the day. It was going to be hot today, the temperature quite warm already. Kurt wasn't wearing his brace, his knee was healed and now the strengthening process was going along fine. He still limped a bit, but he didn't need the brace nearly as often.

"Hey, let's go for a swim!" Kurt suggested. Blaine smiled. He remembered the fun times they had at the lake in Ohio last year when Kurt had taken him there to get him away from the city. Blaine smiled at the memory, Kurt was always thinking of something that would make Blaine smile or make his life a bit easier. He had never known a person as selfless as Kurt Hummel. He was the luckiest man in the world to have Kurt for the rest of his life.

"I didn't bring a suit.." Blaine said, not really thinking. Kurt looked at him and smirked.

"Seriously, Blaine? Who's going to see you? We are so far from civilization...nobody is near here. We can go skinny dipping, of course!"

Blaine grinned. Of course, he went swimming all the time without a stitch on. He stood up, looking for something to use as a towel and thought it was warm enough he wouldn't really need one. They could sunbathe on the rocks to dry off. He took off his shirt, then started to remove his pants and briefs. Kurt took in a breath and Blaine blushed. They had seen each other in every state of dress and undress, but it still made Kurt startle when he looked up to see his lover stripping. Kurt followed suit, removing all of his clothes and setting them up on a tree branch so they wouldn't get wet if they splashed.

He made a quick run and jumped into the lake from the rocks. It was deep here, but he bobbed to the surface and called to Blaine to join him. A great splash came next and Blaine was there, giggling as he swam closer to Kurt.

"Wow, the water is much warmer than I thought it would be!" Blaine exclaimed. Kurt grinned at him, treading water before he thrust himself up and then turned and dove down, his back arched and his butt curved as he went below the waterline. Blaine got a glimpse of it before he saw Kurt's long legs disappear under the surface. He was looking to see which way Kurt went when he felt a hand grasp his leg under the water and Kurt's head broke the surface as he came up, flinging water everywhere as he shook his head.

Blaine wiped the water from his face and turned around to splash Kurt again, but the thought left his head when he saw Kurt's face. He was smiling still, but with a wistful look that was hard to figure out. His attention was being taken by some ducks a little way across the lake: a beautiful wood duck with four little ones, all fluff, in the water behind her. Mama duck was leading them and each duckling was following like kindergärtners in a line. Beyond the ducks were some sort of water birds, maybe cranes or herons, walking through the reeds growing there and poking their long bills down into the water, then raising their heads to the sky and swallowing. Blaine could hear frogs and birds, see fish under the surface, and all the way across the lake a few deer were drinking their morning sips of water. It was idyllic. He moved over to where he could feel the smooth rocks under his feet and coaxed Kurt to join him.

"This is the best way to wake up in the morning, isn't it? A kiss from my lover, fresh fish ready to be cooked for breakfast, and Mother Nature putting on a show for us. I could just do this every day for the rest of my life, Kurt. What about you?"

"You know, Blaine, I always dreamed of a life in New York, wowing the Broadway audiences and singing my heart out. That is until I met you. Now that life seems to me to be false in so many ways. It would be me, hiding from myself and hiding what I truly am from those I love and care about. This just feels right to me, Blaine. Being here with you, sharing a life surrounded by the best and most beautiful things I could ever really imagine. How could I ask for more?" Kurt moved over to sit beside Blaine on the rock that was just under the surface. Blaine's arms wrapped around Kurt, skin touching under the water.

Blaine smiled at him, wondering what he had done in a former life to deserve to have Kurt in this one. He pulled Kurt into his lap, amazed at the feeling of Kurt's hot skin in contrast to the cool water that surrounded them. Kurt must have noticed it, too, because he was snuggling closer, pressing his back against Blaine's chest and then getting up to turn and straddle Blaine's lap. So close, Kurt's legs now curled around Blaine's waist and his chest was right up against Blaine's. They both took a breath, looking into each other's eyes, gazes locking and eyes unblinking as Blaine's fingers went under the water to cup Kurt's cheeks, helping to start the friction they both sought. The water was cooler than body temperature, but not by a lot, and the slickness the water provided was enough for them to slide their bodies together, erections touching and the friction building. Kurt leaned forward just enough to be able to kiss Blaine's neck, making him shiver. Kurt's hand went down to hold them both – the slickness of the water making it easy to slide his hand up and down their cocks.

It started slow and easy, just the amazing new feeling of being immersed in the water and they took their time. There was no place they needed to go, nobody that was expecting them , it was just the two of them and nature and there was no hurry at all.

They got very close to climax, they backed off and moved to experience something else. They kissed and hugged and rolled in the water, playful as otters. There was a great deal of splashing and dunking, then rushing to come together in a hot embrace once again. Finally, Blaine was holding Kurt when he felt Kurt's hands cupping his cheeks under the water. They were standing on some smooth rocks again, a fairly level ground under the water, and Kurt's whole demeanor changed. He wasn't giggling and fun anymore, but serious and wanton. He kissed Blaine with all the passion he was feeling, holding him close with one hand on a cheek and one around his waist. Blaine responded immediately and kissed back, holding Kurt close.

Kurt's fingers made their way down Blaine's back once again, feeling into the space where his body heat was still very warm, where the cool water hadn't penetrated. Pulling the cheeks apart, he began preparing Blaine and Blaine was swooning. This feeling of the cool water and the hot skin touching his most intimate places was making him dizzy and he held on to Kurt with an iron grip.

Kurt took his time, as they had all day, but there was a quickening of his motions every time Blaine would let a moan out across the water. He was finally ready, and Kurt picked him up – the water helping to balance and carry his weight. He pulled Blaine close and slid him down his torso, so they met at the exact place and Kurt was sliding inside. Blaine made a half-scream, half-moan as he felt Kurt entering him. It was surreal in the water, both blunting and enhancing his ability to feel.

"Oh...Blaine...that feels so good, so right..." Kurt said, losing his ability to articulate at a very fast pace. He hooked his hands together behind Blaine's back and held him in place, the water keeping his lover buoyant. Because the water made him all but weightless, Kurt was able to pick him up and push him down in a steadying rhythm and Blaine cried out with the emotions and excitement of this new sensation.

"Kurt...ahhh...no, just...there! Yesyesyesyes...ah, Kurt.." Blaine said into Kurt's neck as he held on with all his might. "Yes..."

Kurt shifted his foot a tiny bit, trying to gain a better balance and moved his arms to hold Blaine in a better grip. "Touch yourself, Blaine..." he managed to whisper, his head foggy with lust as he felt Blaine slamming down on his cock. Blaine complied, just barely using his fingers to tease a reaction because he was so close, he really didn't need to do this. He looked up at Kurt's face, seeing how much it was affecting him and took a better grip. He slid his hand up and down a few times, and began to tremble as the heat gathered in his belly, signaling the oncoming orgasm.

"Oh, Blaine...come- now, baby...don't hold back, just come now..." Kurt said in a throaty voice, then cried out as his climax hit him and he was thrusting so hard into his lover, and Blaine let his orgasm overwhelm him as well, crying Kurt's name over and over again. Blaine sought out Kurt's lips and covered them with his own mouth, kissing and sucking Kurt's soft tongue into his mouth, caressing and dancing as he came down from the high of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Kurt let Blaine's legs sink back into the water of the lake, but held him close with hands behind his back, their hearts thumping loudly next to each other. They finally relaxed enough to come apart, the water swirling around them as they bent their knees and sat in the water up to their necks to get warm again.

"We better get out, Kurt. I'm getting cold and now I'm tired, too." he said, smiling at Kurt and taking his hand. Kurt smiled back and they waded up to the shore and got out of he water, shaking like dogs as they stood in the morning sun. Blaine went to get the blanket they had placed on the ground and they sat together, bodies facing the sun to dry. Lying next to each other, they held hands again, looking at each other.

"You are the best lover a person could ever ask for, Blaine. I love you so much," Kurt said as he rolled over to lie closer to the warmth of his finance.

"You are, too, Kurt. You are just perfect for me, and I cannot imagine a better friend or lover. It's always been you, and will always be you for me," he said, "I can't wait to wake up each morning knowing I get to spend another day with you."

They fell into silence, their emotions not something they could easily put into words. Once they were dried, they put their clothes back on and walked back to the fire they had made a ways from the sleeping camp, ready to fix the trout for breakfast.

"That was delicious!" Kurt announced, licking his lips at the last bite of pan-friend trout with golden brown potatoes they had made for breakfast. They each drank a cup of water from the thermos and started the clean-up. They did not want a repeat performance of the bear in camp.

"So, I vote we take a short nap, then think of something to do quietly in camp, if we're going to walk home tomorrow, you need to conserve your strength, Kurt. How is the leg doing?" Blaine asked. He was sitting on a bedroll, leaning against a locust tree and had Kurt's legs in his lap. Kurt was lying down on a blanket, smiling up at Blaine as they talked about what to do with the rest of their summer. It was just a few days before they were to meet Finn and Puck in Philomath and then a week before they started classes.

"I think it's doing fine. It aches a bit from time to time, but on the whole it feels so much better. I think the strengthening exercises Pete gave me to do are working, it feels stronger."

"Let's see..." Blaine said, coaxing Kurt to remove his pants.

"You just want my pants off, Blaine Anderson – you don't fool me!" Kurt laughed, but took them off anyway and placed his leg back in Blane's lap. Blaine felt the joint, touching the large scar gently. It looked so much better these days, less red and angry, now it had faded to a dark pink and was obviously healing. He took the weight of Kurt's leg in one hand and moved the knee joint, seeing how much range of motion he had. It was more than it had been when they were in Seattle.

"I think it's doing great, Kurt. By this time next year, you should be good as gold. I am so glad..." he said, then sat back. Kurt slipped his pants back on and was tying his shoes when he looked up. Blaine was now sitting with his knees up, arms resting and his face buried. A small sobbing sound came from the place he was hiding his face away.

"Blaine? Blaine, what's wrong?" Kurt asked, scared.

Blaine looked up when Kurt's hand gently stroked down his back. He took a great lungful of air. Kurt was looking at him with a steady gaze, not knowing what was wrong but ready to wrestle tigers to make it right again.

"Blaine? Are you okay?" he asked a second time. Blaine could not get breath enough to speak. Kurt moved so he could scoot behind Blaine and put his arms around him. He gently kissed his neck, then just held him until he could gather himself enough to speak.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry. I thought I had let this go, but seeing your knee, your leg, getting better – oh..." Blaine took another giant breath of air. "I just couldn't stop thinking about all the nights I prayed you would be able to walk again. I lost my faith that you would heal for a while there, and every night I dreamed you would be crippled for the rest of our lives. You cannot imagine how bad it was when I saw you on those rocks that day, I wanted so badly to be the one there, not you. I have been so worried that it might never get better, Kurt. And now? The relief that your leg is healing, that you can run again one day...it is just overwhelming," Blaine got out, then turned where he sat and slipped his arms around Kurt's waist, cradling his head against Kurt's chest so he could hear the faithful heart that beat for him.

"Blaine, it's okay, baby. I'm fine. Even if I never got over it, if I was crippled, you wouldn't desert me, would you? We would still have each other. How could anyone keep us apart?" Kurt asked. Blaine looked up at him.

"Kurt, I would like to believe no one could ever pry us apart, but you know as well as I do that it might not be the case. If your dad hadn't been there to tell the hospital staff that I was allowed to be with you, would they have let me in? You know the stories about gay couples that don't have a legal marriage being torn apart in all kinds of situations. Medical, legal...and even if our families agree to our being together, it would never stand up in court," Blaine said, leaning his forehead back on his knees.

Kurt was trying to hold back tears now. He laid his head down on Blaine's back, his arms surrounding him.

"What can we do, Blaine?" Kurt asked, bewildered. He suddenly felt small and helpless in the big world, remembering how much was against him. It was easy to forget when it was just the two of them alone in the vast Oregon wilderness. Living in a city once again, Kurt had no idea what he might be facing. He knew there were homophobes everywhere, just like there were nice people everywhere, but how would they handle it when it came time to go to school, to get jobs, to just live their lives?

He was disappointed in himself. Here he was, in the midst of Eden with the boy he loved more than anything on this Earth, but they had made no real plans for how to live their joint lives in the world outside these trees.

"Blaine? What are we going to do? We are okay here, but what is it going to be like out there?" Kurt asked. Blaine didn't say anything at first. He patted Kurt's hand resting on his shoulder, then got up.

"Let's fix something to eat, get some water, and go sit in the tent and talk this out. I have the feeling this is going to take a long time. It might be hard to face some of the things I think I need to bring up, but I am only saying them so we can be prepared. We are going to get through this – together – but in order to do that, we have to have a plan," Blaine said.

They got some blackberries they had brought with them, and some venison jerky and a few other things along with canteens of spring water and went inside the tent. The two mules were picketed outside the tent to warn of bears and the boys sat down on their pile of blankets, curled together.

"The first thing we need to do is see a lawyer," Blaine said. "I can talk to Mr. Warner about that, he got one for Cooper and I when he set up the trust for us. I don't want there to be any trouble if anything happens to me with getting you access to my estate. I'm going to have you named the heir to everything I own...which isn't all that much, but I do own the cabin and some land around it. I have a trust fund and some bank accounts. Things like that. I know they would go to you when we're married, but only if we lived in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage. I'm not sure which ones do, though," Blaine said.

"Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Maine, Maryland, Washington, and Washington D.C." Kurt rattled off.

"Ah...okay...not sure why you know all that...?" Blaine looked at him and Kurt grinned.

"I've been planning my wedding since I was five. I kept abreast of each state as it came to it's senses you might say," Kurt giggled.

"Okay..well, I'm guessing Washington is the closest. I think we have to be residents?"

"Blaine, did it ever occur to you why my dad bought a shop in Washington when we live in Oregon? I'm a college student and your last legal address was with my dad. If he lives in Washington and we are college students, our legal address is in Washington," Kurt said, as if talking to a third grader.

"But...but...when did he tell you all this?" Blaine asked. He had been with Kurt for almost every minute he'd been with Burt in Seattle and he didn't recall any discussion like this.

"I didn't need to have him tell me, I just knew. I know my dad pretty well, and he would not have just pulled a name out of a hat to move, he gave it careful consideration. He gives everything careful consideration, Blaine. It wasn't a fluke," Kurt said, thoughts of his dad making him smile.

"Which brings me to the next topic," Blaine went on, smiling at the fact that Burt had such faith in them.

"The wedding?" Kurt anticipated.

"Yes. What do you think of it, like when, where, and all that?" Blaine asked.

"I think we could do it soon? I mean, I'd like to get a semester or two of college done first, but then we can talk about it. Yo know I would marry you tomorrow if you asked me, Blaine. But sensibly, a year and we will be 19. A bit early for the conventional marriage, but I like to flatter myself by thinking I'm more mature than most people my age. What do you think?" Kurt asked, stroking his thumb across Blaine's cheek. He gave him a little kiss on the side of his mouth.

"I am on the same page with you, my love. I'd get married tomorrow, but that isn't practical. I think if we both work hard to establish ourselves in college, we can do the wedding the next summer. I can hardly wait to call you my own, Kurt."

"Oh, Blaine, I'm already yours. You know that." Kurt looked down at the sapphires on his ring and smiled. He loved Blaine so much. He looked up to realize Blaine was also looking at his ring with the interlacing gold ribbons and they looked over at each other, smiling. Life was so good.

"There is something I've been thinking about, Blaine," Kurt said, reaching his arms out to ask Blaine to come closer. Blaine came and got in the 'little spoon' position, Kurt's arms wrapped around him. "I want to have a marriage ceremony with just the two of us, maybe before we leave this place in a few days. We have each other here, with no interference and I think it might be the perfect time to tell each other what we mean, to make our wedding vows so that we have an understanding of what our marriage is. I know it isn't legally binding, but..." Kurt stopped, not sure how to express himself.

"Not legally binding, but real in our hearts?" Blaine finished. Kurt nodded. He should perhaps be amazed that Blaine was able to finish his thoughts, but he wasn't. They had been on the same wavelength since they had met.

"I just thought of something, here, let me up..." Kurt said, struggling to his feet. His knee was better, but it was still hard to get up off the ground. He rummaged through his backpack, finally finding two spiral-bound notebooks and two pens.

"Here, we can write down what we'd like to say to each other for our vows. What do you think?" Kurt asked.

"That is a capitol idea, Kurt. I have quite a few ideas floating around in my mind, it will be nice to get them on paper and organized. Should we do it together?" Blaine asked.

"Let's do it privately at first, then come together to write the final choices?" Kurt suggested.

"Excellent. I'll just go over to the other side of the tent, okay?"

"Sounds fine."

The two boys sat at opposite ends of the tent, which was still very close, but they were able to zone in on themselves and concentrate on the task at hand for almost two hours before Blaine looked up to see Kurt was dozing. He put his notebook aside, then went to Kurt and set his aside, too. Climbing into the sleeping bag beside him, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and fell asleep almost immediately.

It was hours later when the boys woke up. They had been tired from all the activity of the past few days and it felt nice to just sleep. Neither was hungry, so they just stirred the fire, moved the mules to further picket lines and came back to sit together in front of the fire. They had their notebooks open in front of them, reading over what they had written.

"Shall we just take turns and read each one?" Blaine asked.

"Sure. Mine aren't in any order, but I can do that," Kurt said, and Blaine smiled his agreement.

Kurt started and they took turns telling each other the ideas they had come up with. They argued and agreed, thought of revisions and introduced new ideas. They were amazed at some of the things they had come up with that matched exactly what the other had thought of, and almost as astonished when a few things were not received with enthusiasm by the other. They had to stop and take a break when a line about children had come up on both lists, and tears were in their eyes at how much the thought of having a baby meant to both of them. In the end, they had a list of vows that they both loved and wanted for their ceremony.

"Do you think we should do it here or back at the cabin?" Kurt asked the next morning.

"Oh, here would be nice, don't you think?" Blaine said, thinking it would be beautiful with just the two of them in such a natural setting. Kurt smiled at Blaine, walking over to snuggle into his side as they stood in front of the tent. Blaine smelled so nice, like spring rain and pine trees. Kurt couldn't get enough of the scent and poked his nose close to Blane's neck to leave behind some kisses before pulling loose from his embrace to get clean clothes for both of them from the pack. They were on their way to the lake to wash up before breakfast.

It was a lazy day, just walking through the forest and looking at all the creatures that populated the wild place.

By evening, they had swept a place in front of the fire. It was July 5th, a day they would remember the rest of their lives.. They came together, looking into each other's eyes. There was a ceremonial atmosphere with the small field of wildflowers at their backs and the fire by their side. While having a wedding to share with their families and loved ones would be nice in the future, this commitment between them would mean more.

They sat, facing each other in the clearing. They had each decided to sing a song for the ceremony and Blaine would sing first:

_Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean  
Higher than any bird ever flew  
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens  
I've been in love with you_

_Stronger than any mountain cathedral  
Truer than any tree ever grew  
Deeper than any forest primeval  
I am in love with you_

_I'll bring fires in the winters  
You'll send showers in the springs  
We'll fly through the falls and summers  
With love on our wings_

_Through the years as the fire starts to mellow  
Burning lines in the book of our lives  
Though the binding cracks  
And the pages start to yellow  
I'll be in love with you  
I'll be in love with you_

_Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean  
Higher than any bird ever flew  
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens  
I've been in love with you  
I am in love with you_

Kurt and Blaine stood together in the clearing, holding the vows between them and recited them together:

_I promise to put your happiness before my own._

_I promise to do the stuff neither of us wants to do, if you really don't want to do it more than I don't want to do it._

_I promise to defend you to others, even if you're wrong, and save the argument about it until we are alone._

_I promise to make sure it is not just that I am feeling sick or hungry or grouchy BEFORE I get angry with you. _

_I promise to give you the benefit of the doubt. I am not marrying an idiot and I will trust you to do the right thing, even if I can't see the outcome right away._

_I promise not to give in to you for the sole purpose of using that against you in the next argument._

_I promise not to keep score._

_I promise not to put the children before you. (within reason)_

_I promise that it will not matter of you get old, fat, skinny, or anything else. I love you, not just the package you come in._

_I promise to listen to your heart, not just your voice. If it's something we cannot say with words, we will find a way to make our thoughts known to each other._

_I promise to keep an open mind at all times, and give you permission to remind me of this if I lose sight of it from time to time._

_I promise to let you have space to breathe and make your way in the world without me suffocating you. But at the same time, I promise to be there with you every step of the way - and we will find the balance we need to achieve that._

_I promise to clarify my expectations. How can we know what the other wants or needs if they don't tell us? _

_I promise never to go to bed angry. We will stay up until we can work it out, no running away._

_And I promise that my love for you will endure anything the world throws at us, that we will cleave together against it all, and respect each other for always._

Kurt: "I love you, Blaine Devon Anderson, and take you as my husband to love, honor, and cherish, always and forever."

Blaine: "I love you, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, and take you as my husband to love, honor, and cherish, always and forever."

They exchanged the rings they had taken off earlier in the day and given back to each other. Blaine placed the white gold ring with the tiny sapphires and stars on Kurt's finger, Kurt placed the platinum ring with intertwined gold ribbons on Blaine's finger. They kissed and held hands while Kurt sang the song to end the ceremony:

_I'll be your dream  
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do  
I will be strong I will be faithful  
'cause I'm counting on  
A new beginning  
A reason for living  
A deeper meaning, yeah_

_I want to stand with you on  
a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me_

And when the stars are shining  
brightly in the velvet sky,  
I'll make a wish send it to heaven  
Then make you want to cry  
The tears of joy for all the  
pleasure and the certainty  
That we're surrounded by the  
comfort and protection of

Oh can you see it baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'Cause it's standing right  
before you  
All that you need will surely come

I'll be your dream I'll be your wish  
I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do

I want to stand with you on a  
mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to live like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me 

They went back to the tent and sat and watched the stars as they spun across the heavens. There were no more words, there didn't need to be. Their marriage vows had been given to each other with love and commitment and both Kurt and Blaine knew they would last forever. The rose after a while and made their way inside the tent, removing their clothes and made love until the wee hours of the morning, then fell asleep in each other's arms.

_**And with that, this part of the story comes to a close. As I mentioned yesterday, I am forced to take a bit of time off for health reasons, but I **__**promise**__** I will be back.**_

_**A special thank you goes to the crew that supports me through it all, too many to mention individually, but here are a few:**_

_**Michelle, Lisa, Keryn, Sophia-Michelle, Becky, James, Randy, and all the others that have stuck with me. I'll be back...probably before you notice I'm gone.**_

_**The boys will be back - -at college when the story returns...**_


	31. Chapter 31 - The Start of Something Big

The helicopter landed at the airfield and the boys got off, Blaine jumping down and the co-pilot handing Kurt down to him. His knee seemed to be healed for the most part, but they were not taking any chances. Once they had both gotten their balance back from the turbulent ride, the boys turned to the field and saw Kurt's Navigator parked there and two boys waiting.

Coming across at a run were Finn and Puck, gathering the boys into big hugs and twirling them around in an enthusiastic greeting. Blaine and Kurt turned to wave at the pilot, thankful once more that Mr. Warner was so generous.

The luggage was packed in the back of the SUV and they were on the road back to their house in Philomath. As sad as it was to say goodbye to the summer and all their private time, Blaine and Kurt were also happy to be getting back to see their friends and family and to start their new life in college. They sat in the back seat, letting Finn drive and Puck in the passenger seat. The music was loud, the conversation endless, and by the time they got to the house, Kurt was tired again. Blaine seemed to weather the storm a bit better and hopped out of the vehicle, holding his hand out to help Kurt. With Finn and Puck, they made their way up the long staircase to their suite and set the suitcases down.

"Thanks, guys, for all your help, we appreciate it," Kurt said, hugging his brother one more time. He had heard all the family gossip, along with everything that was going on with their friends from New Directions, on the way from the airfield and were ready for some peace and quiet. Finn could tell his brother was trying to be polite, so he herded an enthusiastic Puck back down the stairs to play a bit of basketball until lunch.

Alone at last, Blaine sat on the bed and scooted over to the center, patting the space beside him. Kurt joined him and heaved a huge sigh of relief. It had been a long morning. They had gotten out of bed at five, feeding the goats for the last time. They took JayJay, the flying squirrel, up to the cook house for Shannon to take care of. The little guy was about ready to rejoin the rest of the flying squirrels near the camp now, but he still had a little to learn first...like how to get his own food. Lenore had a plan for that, and the boys were willing to let her try.

Then it was a big breakfast with Mr. Warner and Cooper, who had been hanging around the last few days, knowing it might be a while before he saw his brother again. Blaine had been fine saying goodbye to everyone until he came to Cooper, and the flood of tears came. Coop said he would be visiting at the house in Philomath within the next month, so Blaine could calm down, but it didn't work and Kurt had to hold his hand the entire flight.

Before leaving Philomath last time, the boys had purchased new furniture. Some from flea markets, some new from stores, and some from antique or second hand shops. They hadn't seen any of it actually in the rooms because it didn't arrive until after they had left, so Kurt was hoping they had made good choices, ones that went well together. Kurt looked around. He had left detailed instructions for Finn and Puck, but it looked like they had paid them no heed and just threw things in there wherever they fit. At least the linen on the bed was fresh and the curtains were up.

After lying in the bed for a few minutes, they got up to see what the adjacent room might look like now. Kurt let out a whistle as he walked through the double doors. There was a new upright piano against one wall and a library of sheet music in the bookcase behind it. One wall had bookshelves with CDs and a stereo system, but the part that caught Kurt's eye was the beautiful drafting table in the center of the room, angled so the sun came in the window and bathed the surface in soft light. Kurt walked across the floor, marveling at the beautiful room. He walked over to the French doors and opened them to the small patio. Walking out, he immediately smelled the flowers. All along the edges of the balcony were big terracotta planters, each one with a Stargazer Lily in it. Kurt turned to Blaine, who was holding back not sure if Kurt would like them.

"Oh, Blaine...this is just wonderful. Thank you," he said with a sunny smile. Blaine grinned at him, happy the little surprise was so well received.

"Oh, that was a long flight, Kurt. Shall we rest for a while before starting dinner? Your folks are due in about four and Finn said he's picking them up from the airport," Blaine said.

"It will be so good to see them, Blaine. I miss Dad. I miss Carole, too, but my dad and I were all we had in the world for so long, it's hard to be without him. Plus, I can hardly wait to tell them we're engaged!

Finn had left to go pick Burt and Carole up at the airport while Blaine and Kurt were busy rearranging their furniture and then getting the guest room ready. The house had come with some furniture, and the guest room had a bed, nightstands, two dressers, two wing chairs and a little table in between. It opened onto the garden, as did all the rooms on this side of the house, kitchen included. It was done in shades of gray and beige with warm chocolate and accents of forest green. Kurt couldn't have designed it better himself.

Dinner was ready...a simple soup and salad that Kurt and Blaine had put together that afternoon. It was rather warm out, bordering on hot, so the couple was in the back yard, lounging under the trees in the huge hammock together. Blaine was wearing running shorts and no shirt, barefoot. He lay back in the hammock, his head and shoulders on the pile of pillows they had brought out. Beside him was a small redwood table with a pitcher of pink lemonade. Kurt had squeezed the lemons just a few minutes ago, adding sugar and ice and finally strained some crushed raspberries into the pitcher to make it pink. He garnished it with mint leaves picked from the garden. Blaine poured himself a tall glass, taking long slow swallows of the sour drink with just the right amount of sweetness. He smiled when Kurt returned with a plate of almond-poppy seed muffins slathered with butter and fresh from the over.

"Oh, Kurt, those smell heavenly!" Blaine crowed, appreciating Kurt so much right now. He was dressed in aqua blue Bermuda shorts, a pale mint green sleeveless fitted shirt, suspenders and was also barefoot. Setting the muffins down, he sat next to Blaine and flipped his legs up on the hammock and soon they were cuddled close together on the pillows.

Puck strolled into the backyard, grinning when he saw the lemonade and muffins.

"Can I have some?" he asked, sitting down on a chaise lounge and putting his feet up.

"Of course. That's your gramma's muffin recipe, you know," Kurt smiled. Puck nodded his head. He missed his gramma and was saving money to bring her out for a visit.

"So, your folks are due here pretty soon, eh? They don't know you two are engaged, do they?" Puck asked, eying the boys in the hammock.

"No, we wanted to tell them in person," Kurt said. He couldn't help but look over at Blaine, who had ducked his head and was blushing just a little. He looked up at Kurt, the love showing all over his face and then over at Puck. Puck just grinned. He had been one of Kurt's closest friends since kindergarten and seeing him this happy was just amazing.

Before they could say anything more, the back door opened and Burt walked into the yard, followed by Carole and Finn. Finn had his arm around his mom like he was never going to let her go and leaned over to place a kiss on her head every once in a while.

"Dad!" Kurt shouted and scrambled to get out of the hammock to go and hug his father. With Blaine's help, he made it without tipping them both over and stood up to throw his arms around his dad.

Burt was thrilled to see his son. He held him close, burying his face in Kurt's sweet smelling embrace. Burt missed the scent of vanilla and jasmine. He chuckled a little, letting Kurt go. He held his arms for a minute, then slid his hands down past Kurt's elbows, wrists and stopped at his hands, giving them a squeeze. He was looking in Kurt's face, seeing his son smile when he realized he was wearing a ring on his left hand. Burt looked down to see a white gold band with tiny sapphires and stars carved in it. His eyes got wide and he stared at the ring, holding Kurt's hand in front of his face.

A quick glance over to Blaine and he got a glimpse of a platinum ring with interwoven gold ribbons. He looked back at Kurt.

"Is there something you'd like to tell us, Kurt?"

There was a moment of Kurt taking in a big breath, his prepared speech completely forgotten. Blaine stepped up in back of Kurt, his arms going around Kurt's waist and pulling him close. He kissed his cheek and smiled up at Burt.

"I asked Kurt to marry me. He said 'yes'." Blaine's face was a study in ecstasy. He turned to look at Kurt, his eyes sparkling and the sunshine in his smile beaming out. Kurt looked back the same way, and they were lost in their own little world for a moment. They might have stood there for hours, just staring into each other's eyes, but Finn came up to congratulate them and Carole was right behind. Puck and Finn knew the boys had rings, but had held back saying anything until Kurt and Blaine made the decision to tell everyone.

The happy gathering all sat down, Kurt poured lemonade and passed out muffins while they all talked about what was going on in their lives. It finally came around again that the boys were engaged and Carole asked when they had planned the wedding.

"Well, it isn't planned yet. We need to see about the legal aspects of it and make arrangements first, then think about how we want to proceed," Blaine answered.

"Kurt, Blaine. I know you might have thought that my picking up and moving everything to Washington was just a whim. I want you to know that it wasn't. Carole and I talked about it for months and we just kept coming to the same conclusion: we wanted to be closer to you three. It was too hard to stay in that backwater town, knowing that the people there had a certain mindset. I only wish I had gotten the courage to move you away from there sooner, Kurt. Things might have happened a lot differently if I had. Like no bullying, and what you had to endure for so many years. I'm sorry, son," Burt said.

Kurt took his father's hand.

"Dad, I don't blame you for the things that happened to me. I know there are gay kids everywhere and they all have to deal with the way society is structured, how they think. If we had moved away, I would never have the amazing friends I have today. It might be the diversity that made me cling to them more, made them closer to me. And if it hadn't been for the incident on the night of that school dance, I might never have met Blaine. I do not want to even think about that, not ever. If it took that horrible experience for me to have Blaine in my life, then thank goodness it happened."

Burt hugged his son again.

"Well, I moved to Washington instead of Oregon because same-sex marriage is legal there. As college students, both you and Blaine are therefore legal residents of Washington so you can get married there. I'm not saying you should rush into this, not at all. You are both so young, but when the time comes you can get married in Washington," Burt said, wiping a few tears away.

"Thank you, Dad," Kurt said, smiling and gripping Burt's hand tightly.

"Thank you, Burt," Blaine said and hugged the man who would soon be his father-in-law.

"We are talking about having the wedding next summer, actually," Kurt said. Burt's eyes opened wide, but he didn't say anything. Carole smiled at the boys and took another sip of her lemonade. They changed the subject and talked on, relaxing under the trees until evening when they went back in the house to escape the mosquitoes and fix dinner.

_**Oregon State University.**_

Kurt stood in the hallway waiting his turn to see his advisor. He had sort of met him before – via email soon after being accepted at Oregon State. Dr. Forsythe seemed to be a rather popular person judging from the line of people waiting outside his office. Several students were sitting on the benches, but Kurt was standing – leaning heavily on the wall and his cane. His knee was indeed better, but it had not regained all the strength he'd lost and after a long day of walking across campus it was very sore.

One more student was ushered into the inner office of the advisor by an assistant and Kurt pushed himself away from the wall to move forward in line when his knee gave out. He was in the brace, but it didn't help if the knee collapsed all together. Kurt went down hard, hitting the floor with a resounding smack, hitting his head hard on the marble bench beside him. He was out cold.

He came to slowly, opening his eyes to see the concerned face of a blond-haired boy with big brown eyes. The boy had tears in his eyes and looked very young, and Kurt's head was in his lap.

"Are you okay? Please say you're okay!" the boy said, holding Kurt's hand and patting it gently. He was sitting on the floor beside him, legs folded into a pretzel as he tried to stroke Kurt's face. Kurt shook his head, only to be stopped by the boy.

"No! Don't do that, you might have a concussion. Help is on the way and in the mean time you should lie still," the boy said.

"Ah...what happened?" Kurt asked.

"Well, you were standing in line to see Dr. Forsythe and I think something happened to your...knee? Anyway, you started to fall and grabbed your knee and then you hit your head. I have a clean handkerchief on the place where you hit it, but the brace you had on your knee was twisted. I was afraid to take it off at first, but it looked like it was making your leg worse, so..." the boy looked down at the floor. "I hope I did the right thing."

Kurt was still dizzy, but his head was clearing quickly. He reached for his cell phone. He hadn't used it since the beginning to summer, but had charged it and had it turned back on before school started.

"Ah...I can't seem to find my phone..." Kurt said.

"Oh! I took it. I dialed the first number and they didn't answer, so I kept dialing until I got someone. His name is Finn and he said he's your brother? He's on his way now."

Kurt sighed in relief. Finn would help him. He was pretty sure he was fine, just a bump on the head and his knee hurt, but he wasn't sure if he could walk. He turned his head to see his brace sitting on the floor a ways away. He tried to sit up.

"Here, let me help you," the boy said. Kurt sat up, leaning against the blond boy for support, and looked around him. There were about two dozen people standing around and Kurt blushed. He was beginning to believe he was accident prone.

"Thank you...ah...I don't know your name," he said.

"Jeff. Jeff Sterling, I'm in the music program here. I was waiting for Dr. Forsythe, too. Say, are you sure you're okay? You have a pretty good sized lump on your head," he observed. Kurt's hand went to where his head hurt and felt a huge goose-egg.

There was a commotion in the office and a large man with a neatly trimmed beard, dressed in a Brooks Brother's suit came out of the office. He was very nicely dressed and carried himself with confidence, an air of masculinity and no-nonsense surrounding him. He surveyed what was going on outside his office door.

"Here, someone help this poor kid into my office. Set him on the sofa in the outer office, you there! Come help" he said, pointing to a big guy walking down the hall. "Jeff, gather his things and we'll get him comfortable," the professor directed.

Kurt was soon resting on the sofa in his advisor's office, his knee swelling and his head hurting. Jeff stayed by his side, Kurt leaning against him, as he occasionally looked out into the hallway to see if Finn had appeared.

"Now, young man, can you tell me who you are and why you were lying on the floor in front of my office?" Dr. Forsythe asked, peering into Kurt's face.

"I'm Kurt Hummel. You are my advisor and I came for the early class scheduling today. I needed your signature to take a sophomore level class and while I was standing there, my knee sort of decided to quit working. I'm sorry, I didn't want to cause a scene," Kurt apologized. "I had surgery on my knee and it's still a little weak, and I've been walking a lot today."

"No problem. We can call someone for you, or if you need to go to the hospital, I can arrange for you to be taken there..." the advisor offered.

Kurt shook his head. "My brother is on his way. This boy...Jeff?...found the number in my phone and called. I'll be fine once Finn comes. Thank you. Oh, and I need to get your signature for taking that sophomore class...?" Kurt looked up expectantly with a shy smile on his face.

Dr. Forsythe burst out in laughter.

"Well, Kurt Hummel, I know it's hard to wait in line on scheduling day, but this is the most ingenious way to get to the head of the line I've ever seen."

Kurt looked stricken. He hadn't thought of it like that – he was only worried he wouldn't get the signature before the class filled up. His eyes were huge as he looked at his advisor, his face flushed with red in his embarrassment. He wanted with all his heart to be back in the Oregon wilderness right now.

Dr. Forsythe saw his embarrassment and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"I'm just kidding, Mr. Hummel. Let me see your paper and I'll get you that signature. I read your transcript and I see no problem with your taking a class of that level."

Jeff grinned at Kurt. He was still sitting on the end of the sofa, supporting Kurt and waiting for his brother to appear.

Dr, Forsythe returned with the signed paper just as Finn and Blaine rounded the corner, both practically running. Kurt called out to them and they entered the outer office, Blaine pale and running to Kurt's side.

"Kurt, are you okay, baby?" Blaine blurted out, "What happened? Finn was with me when he got a strange call and someone said you'd been hurt?" Blaine put his arms around Kurt.

"I'm okay, I think. My knee just decided not to work and I fell. I hit my head, but I think I'm fine," he said, but he sounded a little groggy. Finn was feeling his skull and found the huge lump.

"Whoa, you must have hit it hard, this goose-egg is huge!"

Blaine felt it and pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple.

"He fell against the marble bench," Jeff said, still sitting with Kurt's head in his lap.

"I just need some help getting my brace back on and getting out to the car." Kurt said.

Blaine looked around for the brace and gently picked up his leg, sliding the brace underneath it. He was buckling the straps when Jeff took a breath and looked at the two boys.

"Ah, are you both his brothers, because you don't look anything alike," he said.

Kurt jerked around and stared at the blond for a minute, then started to laugh.

"No, Finn is my brother. His mom married my dad a few years ago. Blaine is my fiancé," Kurt corrected him, a smirk on his face.

The look on Jeff's face was priceless. They could see he was a bit embarrassed, but Kurt put his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled at him.

"It's okay, but I do want to thank you so much for all your help, Jeff. I hope we have some classes together." Jeff smiled back, then glanced over at Blaine to see a less than welcoming expression on his face.

"I need to get to an appointment. I hope you feel better, Kurt," he said, extricating himself from the beautiful boy he had been holding. "If you need anything, I am a sophomore this year and I can give you a hand if you feel a bit out of your element," Jeff said. He stopped and took a business card out of his pocket. He scratched the name off the front with his pen and turned it over, writing his number on the back then handed it to Kurt. "Please call me just to let me know you're okay." With a wave, Jeff turned on his heel to walk down the hallway.

Kurt didn't notice the look Blaine was giving the blond boy. He was trying to get his books together and Finn was helping him find his cane. By the time Blaine looked back, Kurt was trying to stand. His knee was obviously not going to take his weight, so Finn simply picked his brother up and walked down the hall with him. Blaine carried his things and they all got in the Navigator.

"Do we need to see a doctor do you think?" Blaine asked, but Kurt refused. He just wanted to drop off his paperwork at the scheduler's office and go home. Fin offered to do that and they were back at the house in good time.

Sitting on the sofa, a cold compress on his knee to reduce the swelling, Kurt was leaning back on a pile of pillows. He dozed off for a while, tired from all the hurry-scurry of scheduling day. He'd gotten all of his classes set up he hoped and was just waiting for Blaine and Finn to get back. They'd taken Kurt's paperwork with them and turned it all in today after dropping him off to rest his knee.

"Kurt!" a voice sounded from the front door and suddenly Kurt had a lap full of boyfriend.

"Ah...hello, Blaine," he said, startled. "Did you get it all done?"

"Yes, the three musketeers are signed, sealed, and registered! Oh...I need to tell you something, though," Blaine said, a small frown on his face. "I couldn't get you into the freshman English Lit class, so I picked a different general ed class. I tried to call, but..." his eyes went over to where Kurt's cell was plugged into it's charger on the kitchen countertop. Kurt had switched it off.

"That's okay, what did you get me?"

"Ah, you're gonna think I'm nuts, but it's a beginning drafting class. It counts as a math credit and an art credit, so I figured you couldn't go wrong. Plus, I know you love to draw and you do have the drafting table in the office upstairs. Is that okay?" Blaine asked, giving Kurt his patented sad-puppy look.

"Of course it's okay, sweetheart. Thank you for dealing with all of that for me. I feel lazy just napping while you go do all the work, though," Kurt whined.

"Well, let's see if I can think of some way for you to make it up to me. Hmmmm..." Blaine said, pretending to contemplate all the alternatives. He was trying valiantly to stop from grinning, and hid his face in Kurt's shoulder so his fiance didn't see it. Kurt scooted over a little on the sofa and spread his legs so Blaine fit between them. He put his arms around the warm boy lying on his chest and kissed his ear – a very loud smack! - and Blaine recoiled with a surprised frown on his face.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"Oh, sorry. I was just kissing your ear, you used to like that," Kurt tried not to grin.

"Hrrrmmpppff," Blaine growled.

"I'm sorry, honey, c'mere and just lie down on my shoulder," Kurt soothed. He put his arms closer around Blaine and gave him tiny kisses all along his jawline and up once again to his ear. He could feel the shivers go down Blaine's back as he nibbled his neck. Then he leaned a bit closer and stuck his very wet tongue in Blaine's ear.

"Yeeeoooohhh!" Blaine squealed, rubbing his ear and looking at Kurt with a disgusted face. "Really, Kurt? What is up with you today?"

"Ah...bored?" Kurt answered. He was holding tightly to Blaine's arms so he couldn't get away.

"Well, we're going to have to think of something for you to do that isn't boring, aren't we?" Blaine said, lying back down, his ear on Kurt's chest so he couldn't put his tongue back in it.

Kurt smiled at that thought. He feathered his fingers down the sides of Blaine's shirt, touching him with a very delicate hand, then increasing his pressure until Blaine was giggling. He was terribly ticklish. Kurt tickled him lightly for a few minutes, then turned his tickling fingers to gentle stroking, sliding his hands under Blaine's shirt. Blaine scooted up so he could kiss Kurt and proceeded to turn him to mush, his warm, soft lips moving against Kurt's. They kissed for quite a while before the heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see Burt standing there.

"I hate to interrupt, but lunch is ready, boys. We'll be in the dining room," Burt said, rolling his eyes at the couple on the sofa, and left the room to go find his lunch.

Kurt's knee was doing okay by this time, still a little swollen but doing fine. Blaine helped him buckle the brace back on and got him standing. They entered the dining room and everyone else was sitting at the table. Puck had a huge grin on his face and was staring at Finn. Finn and Kurt's parents sat next to each other and chairs were being pulled over to accommodate everyone was soon sitting at the table. It was a pleasant talk, about what classes they were taking, how difficult football was going to be with most of the senior class last year graduated and gone.

Lunch over, Finn wanted to show Burt and Carole the campus and to meet the football coach, so they headed out to do that. Puck went along, thinking if he could make good grades at the community college, he might be able to start classes in the spring. Kurt and Blaine went up to their room to watch a movie and talk about their schedules.

"So, we got freshman algebra together and for the science credit I saw you wrote down biology. I got us in those together. Oh, and Finn will be in the algebra class with us, too. I really thought about taking that drafting class, but I need to do the English class to get it out of the way so I can take Public Speaking next semester -because that is part of my major. Then you are doing Individual Voice and Aural Skills. I'm doing Forest Ecosystems and Orientation to Fisheries and Wildlife. I needed one more general ed class, so I signed up for pottery. Wow, this all sounds so intimidating!" Blaine said.

"Yeah. We'll get through it, Blaine. I know it sounds just about impossible, but you know I have your back, right? We can do it." Kurt sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than he was Blaine.

"Classes start in less than two weeks. We need to figure out a few things...I did go to the burser's office and our financial aid stuff is all done, our checks for tuition have been received and I think everything is set. I set both schedules up so we go to classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, then study time in the library or here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Oh, and you were right, you need to find someone to play piano for you one day a week for your vocal lab. I can do it, but you might be able to find someone better than me. I only learned on Lenore's mom's piano and while I can read music, I'm not anywhere close to a concert pianist," Blaine said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Kurt said, smiling at Blaine. "Now, can we get to something a bit more serious?"

"More serious than our classes and schedules?"

"Yes. Much more important, Blaine. We need to talk it over, we need to do experiments, we need to collaborate on this, you know," Kurt grinned, running one finger down Blaine's jawbone before he leaned in to kiss him.

"Talk, collaborate on what exactly?" Blane asked, closing his eyes for a brief few moments before cupping his hand around Kurt's cheek and kissing the corner of his mouth.

"On what we plan to do with this afternoon while everyone is out of the house, of course," Kurt answered, unbuttoning Blaine's baby blue shirt and pulling the hem from where it was tucked in to his waistband.

Kurt had most of Blaine's clothes off and Blaine had succeeded in leaving a wicked love bite on Kurt's hipbone when Kurt's phone rang. He rolled his eyes and looked to see who it was.

"Hello, this is Kurt," he said.

"Kurt? This is Dr. Forsythe. I was calling to see if you made it home and were doing alright now?" he asked.

"Oh, how kind of you to check up on me. Yes, I'm okay. I just twisted the knee, but the swelling is minimal and the pain is about gone. It was so nice of you to call," Kurt said, a small smile on his lips as Blaine traced the veins up his arm while he waited.

"You took a nasty spill, can't have my students all in pieces the first day of class. Interferes with the flogging, you know," the man laughed. Kurt smiled.

"Ah, no, certainly not," Kurt said.

"As long as you're okay. I see you're in my Individual Voice class. I will see you on Tuesday, Mr. Hummel. Be prepared to sweat," Dr. Forsythe said.

"I look forward to it, Sir. And thank you again," Kurt said.

"Who was that?" Blaine asked, looking at Kurt's smiling face.

"Dr. Forsythe. He was just checking up on me. I fell in front of his office. He called to make sure I was okay so he could...and I quote...'Flog me'. Wow. I had heard he was a formidable force in the music department, but that was unexpected," Kurt commented.

"Yeah..." Blaine flushed. The thought of flogging Kurt posed an interesting picture.

"So, this whole flogging thing...Would we need handcuffs and a whip? Oh, one of those dragon-tail whips?" Blaine wondered aloud, running his finger along the bare flesh that showed above Kurt's jeans.

Kurt jumped and turned to look at Blaine.

"What the hell?" he said, incredulous. "Blaine Devon Anderson! Do you honestly think I would entertain such an idea? _**Really? **_Because if you come near me with any of those accouterments, be prepared for war, mister," Kurt's voice got dangerously low and his eyes were mere slits.

"Well, I would start out with a blindfold, of course," Blaine went on. He was grinning as Kurt sputtered, and all he got in response this time was a growl.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, kissing his cheek very gently and tracing the line of his jaw down to his neck. He kissed Kurt's neck in the place that Kurt could not resist and heard a sharp intake of breath and a low moan. He kissed along to Kurt's Adam's apple, then back with his warm tongue leaving a streak of shivers.

"Kurt?" he whispered.

"MmmmmHhhmmm?"

"You know I would never hit you, don't you? Not even in play. And the only time I did, I have regretted every day since. No, your skin is too beautiful to risk marking it up, and besides...I love you and hurt is not part of that. Okay?" Blaine asked.

"Okay, Blaine. I'm sorry I over reacted. I do love you, too, and I think that we respect each other and know our boundaries. I'm sorry, I don't always know when you're kidding," Kurt went on, but Blaine put a finger to his lips and then kissed him. Kurt reciprocated by running his tongue over Blaine's lips and soon they were tangled together under the covers in their shared bed, in their new house, waiting for their new lives. And life looked pretty good right now.


	32. Chapter 32 - Trouble in Paradise

Kurt walked into his class on Tuesday, limping only a little. His knee was a bit tender, but he was feeling excited about starting his classes. He walked into the music room, wondering what Dr. Forsythe would be like as a professor. Everything he had heard was that the man was a stern taskmaster and very hard on freshmen. Seems he liked to thin the herd a bit so he could maintain low numbers for the sophomore classes he taught. This was a sophomore level class, but Kurt was still a bit apprehensive.

He sat in the middle, towards the back of the classroom so he could see who might walk in. It was habit from high school that he had adopted to keep himself safe from bullies. While he thought college would be free of the bullies, he wasn't sure enough to let his guard down.

Kurt was reading over the syllabus when he saw someone making their way up the steps to the back row, then set his messenger bag down on the desk beside him. Kurt looked up into the blue eyes of Jeff Sterling.

"Hi, Kurt! I didn't know you were in this class, it's sophomore level, " Jeff said with a smile and a wink.

Kurt startled. Cute boys did not wink at him. Wow.

"Ah..that's what I was doing in front of Dr. Forsythe's office, getting his permission to take this class. I skipped the level one because I was in Glee Club in high school," Kurt said.

"Really? I was in Glee, but I didn't get to skip. Huh." Jeff looked a little skeptical and it got Kurt's back up.

"We were National Champions. Maybe that's the difference," he said and busied himself with setting out a pen and notebook.

"Oh. Well, no we weren't. Regionals, yes, but not Nationals," Jeff said.

Kurt rolled his eyes in his best bitchy face. He thought of several things to say but none of them were nice, so he kept his mouth shut. Blaine was rubbing off on him.

Dr. Forsythe walked into the room and they began to go over the syllabus. It didn't take much time and Kurt was thinking about finding a piano player for his vocal music labs he'd have on Wednesdays.

"Kurt?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah...?" Kurt said, a little distracted.

"Do you have a piano player for the labs?"

"No. Blaine said he could try, but he hasn't played in a long time," Kurt said.

"I am available. The school will pay me for work study if I can pick up three students to play for. What do you say? Can we try it out and see if we're compatible?" Jeff offered.

"Okay. Hey, why not meet me after lunch, say two o'clock, at my house and see," Kurt said.

"Sounds like a plan. Text me your address and I'll see you then," Jeff smiled.

Sitting in the Navigator in the student parking lot, Kurt dozed in the warm sunshine. Blaine was due out of class twenty minutes ago, but Kurt was waiting patiently for him. He might have gotten held up with the professor or something. He watched an eagle as it soared over the field and wondered what it was hunting. Then he saw it's mate and sat mesmerized as they put on a show just for him. He heard voices from behind him and turned just in time to see Blaine walking towards him, talking to another boy and laughing as they evidently shared a joke. Blaine was flushed dusty pink as his companion – a nice looking guy with straight black hair and a bounce in his step – flirted shamelessly with Kurt's fiancé.

Kurt had seen people come under the spell of Blaine's charm before, and most of the time he didn't mind. Blaine was a very good looking man. In fact, he was gorgeous with his mop of silky, sexy curls and big smile, his perfect golden skin, his big honey-hazel eyes and long eyelashes. Blaine walked with the confidence born of being in the prize fighting ring, his skin sliding over those taut muscles and the most delicious round ass. The best thing perhaps was that Blaine seemed completely unaware of how beautiful he was.

Of course, he could look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame or the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Kurt would still be in love with him, because his beauty was not just in his looks. No, it was his kindness, his faithfulness, his trust in Kurt. Thinking about Blaine, which he did often, he could not think of one person that had the same high morals and simple love of people that Blaine did. He knew absolutely that he was luckiest man on Earth to have Blaine in his life.

Kurt's thoughts didn't keep him from seeing the new boy reaching out and touching Blaine's chin for a moment, and Blaine's subsequent frown as he batted the boy's hand away. When he focused his eyes back on Blaine's progress across the parking lot, he could see Blaine seemed upset. He got out of the car and walked a few steps towards the two.

"Hi, baby. How was class?" Kurt asked. They didn't usually display a lot of affection in public. Partly because they never knew if it was safe, considering the things that had happened to Kurt, but also because it was not something gentlemen did in public -no matter who they were. Touching and kissing were something to do in the privacy of their home.

"It was a blast, Kurt. I had the best time. I met some nice people, I loved the professors, and it was just great. How about yours?" Blaine asked, leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on Kurt's cheek. For some reason Kurt turned his head so the kiss landed on his lips and he put his hands on Blaine's face, giving him a deep kiss ending with his tongue in Blaine's mouth. He pulled back and Blaine looked at him but didn't say anything.

"I had a good time. The classes all look fun, the individual vocal is going to be a bitch. I need to find a piano accompanist, but somebody is meeting me at home at two to see if we can work together. He needs to find three people to play for to get his work study money, so it might work for both of us," Kurt said, looking at the other boy.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm sorry. Kurt, this is my classmate, Nick Duvall. Nick, this is my fiancé, Kurt Hummel," Blaine said as the two shook hands. A sad look passed over Nick's face for a moment, but Blaine didn't notice. Kurt did. He felt like all the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. This was going to take all of his willpower not to say anything rude or to ask Nick to quit staring because Blaine was _his._

"I saw Finn. He has one more class, then football meetings until five. He said to go ahead, he could catch a ride home later or he'd call if he needed one," Kurt said.

"Well, then let's get some lunch. Want to go out or eat at home?" Blaine asked.

"I have that pannini press Dad got me, let's go try that if it sounds okay for you?" Kurt offered. He really just wanted to have five minutes alone to kiss Blaine until he moaned.

"Would you like to join us, Nick?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, that would be great. I'd love to," Nick said, smiling at Blaine.

"Just follow us, it's only a few minutes away. See you there," Blaine said, sliding into the Navigator. Kurt handed him the keys and they were off. Kurt held his hand over the console and Blaine took it by habit. They always held hands when they drove anywhere.

"So. Nick?" Kurt asked in boyfriend shorthand. They knew each other's minds and didn't even need complete sentences to have a conversation.

"He's in my Forestry Eco class. I was feeling kind of lost, you know? I didn't go to school like you did, Kurt. Only to McKinley and you or one of our friends was in every class with me. Being on my own is...well, it isn't exactly scary. It is a bit intimidating, though. I was feeling alone and not sure of myself and Nick came in and sat next to me. He was nice and polite, and it seemed like he might make a good friend. Is there something wrong with that?" Blaine over-explained. The less Kurt said, the more Blaine felt he had to fill the emptiness with chatter.

"I have no objections, Blaine. You couldn't find a girl to make friends with? Or a straight guy?" He asked, acid on his tongue.

Blaine just stared at him.

"What?" he asked, wondering what had crawled up Kurt's butt. This didn't sound like Kurt at all. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. Not at all."

The rest of the drive was silent. Kurt was fuming, he could see how Nick had been following each and every movement Blaine made. He wasn't being fair, and he knew it. He was trying so hard to keep this from escalating into something unpleasant. He took a big breath and pasted a smile on his face. Blaine deserved to have friends, and nobody was more trustworthy than his Blaine. Kurt satisfied himself with that and squeezed Blaine's hand, flashing him a smile when Blaine glanced over at the next stop sign.

No, Blaine was faithful to Kurt, and he knew it with no reservations. But Blaine was also one of the most naïve people Kurt had ever met. He believed everyone was truthful and honest. He could so easily be blindsided or led astray. Kurt knew he would have to be on the alert with friends like Nick around Blaine. He sighed just as they turned into the driveway. Nick pulled up to the curb and parked his little Acura.

In the kitchen, Blaine and Nick sat at the breakfast bar. Kurt was whipping around the kitchen getting out ingredients. He set a bowl of his homemade hummus on the bar with a plate of various crackers, then poured lemonade for the three of them and turned to work on the sandwiches. He buttered rye and sourdough bread, placing thin slices of hard salami and turkey, then a layer of basil and thin tomatoes, topped with goat cheese. He put them in the pannini press and the smell in the kitchen was heavenly. They all sat at the bar and ate the delicious sandwiches, chatting about school and the professors and what places were good to get coffee within walking distance of the campus.

As it turned out, Nick was a pleasant, funny, and intelligent person and Kurt was enjoying his company quite a bit. They were still talking, having moved out to the backyard under the tree when Kurt heard the doorbell. He excused himself and went to answer the door. Jeff was standing there, smiling at Kurt.

"Am I early?" he asked.

"No, not at all. We were just in the backyard chatting with a friend. Would you like to go up and see the piano?" Kurt asked.

"Sure, Kurt," Jeff said, smiling.

They went up the stairs, Kurt limping a bit because his knee was still pretty sore. He led the way down the hall and opened the double doors to the room with the drafting table and piano. Walking across the floor, he opened the French doors to the balcony that overlooked the back yard. He could hear Blaine and Nick talking as they sat in the swing.

"I'm not sure what to call this room - maybe 'The Studio' or something. In any case, here it is and I'm hoping the piano is tuned. We bought it at an antique store that specialized in musical things and they hauled it up over the railing of the balcony to get it in here! It wouldn't fit around the bend in the stairs. My brother had a piano tuner come before I got back here, so hopefully it's in tune, but I haven't tried it out," Kurt explained. Jeff walked around the room, his smile wide as he looked at all the things: Blaine's guitars, Kurt's drafting table that had sketches of fashion designs taped to the surface and a drawer full of colored pencils sitting open next to it. He smiled even brighter when he saw the shelves of sheet music behind the piano.

"I guess we should see if she'll play, right?" he asked. Sitting down on the bench, Jeff touched the keys with gentle hands. He had a beautiful smile on his face as the tune he picked sounded true and right. Kurt smiled, too.

"What would you like to sing, Kurt? Give me something great to work with, okay?" Jeff asked.

Kurt frowned in thought for a moment, then walked over to the shelf and looked for a moment, finding the song he wanted. He blushed a little as he handed the sheets to Jeff.

"Let's try this one?" he asked.

Jeff spread the sheets and played a few scales to test the sound. It was pitch perfect and both of the boys smiled.

"Do you need a warm-up?" Jeff asked Kurt. "I can play something simple if you want to warm your voice."

"Sure, let's do that. What did you have in mind?"

"Oh...something simple. How about the Beatles or maybe Rolling Stones?" He asked.

Kurt blinked. He could do that...it wouldn't test his voice very much, but it might help with the warm up.

"How about _Let It Be_?" he asked and Jeff's fingers moved to play the introduction. Kurt sang it softly, just letting his throat feel the sounds as they came from his diaphragm. By the end of the song he was ready to really give his voice a workout.

"All right. Let's go ahead with this," he said, indicating the music in front of Jeff.

"This is a little high, do you need me to change the..." Jeff started to say.

"No, Jeff. Just play it like it's written," Kurt said, ignoring the skeptical look on Jeff's face.

"Sure, Kurt. Whatever you say," he rejoined and started playing.

Kurt took a cleansing breath and put a hand on his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment to center himself and stood near the piano, but turned so his voice would go out the French doors.

_Something has changed within me _

_Something is not the same _

_I'm through with playing by the rules _

_Of someone else's game _

_Too late for second-guessing _

_Too late to go back to sleep _

_It's time to trust my instincts _

_Close my eyes: and leap!  
It's time to try Defying gravity _

_I think I'll try Defying gravity _

_And you can't pull me down!_

I'm through accepting limits 

_'Cause someone says they're so _

_Some things I cannot change _

_But till I try, I'll never know! _

_Too long I've been afraid of _

_Losing love I guess I've lost _

_Well, if that's love _

_It comes at much too high a cost! _

_I'd sooner try Defying gravity _

_Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity _

_And you can't pull me down!_

Jeff could hardly finish playing, he was so amazed. He thought Kurt was probably pretty good or he wouldn't have gotten in to the music program, or been a Nationals winner in the Glee Club Show Choir world. But this? His voice was a gift, the best countertenor Jeff had ever heard. Why wasn't he on Broadway now?

Kurt was standing by the doors, breathing in the fresh air brought by the summer breeze. He had a dreamy smile on his face as he cocked his head to listen to the conversation in the backyard below him.

"Whoa...who is that singing, Blaine? Do you guys have a female roommate?" Nick asked.

"Nope. That, my friend, was not a girl. Would you like to meet the owner of that voice?" Blaine asked, his pride in Kurt's amazing voice evident in every word.

They heard footsteps coming up the stairs as Kurt turned to meet Blaine.

Blaine walked into the studio, ushering Nick in, too, before closing the doors.

"Nick wanted to know who was singing," he said. Kurt smirked as Nick's eyes went to Jeff and looked surprised.

Kurt nodded at Jeff to go on to the next song and he started to play. As the strains of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" started, Nick sat down in a wooden chair. Kurt took a breath and stood straight. He sang the song, Blaine grinning the whole time as Kurt's voice did it's amazing range and Nick sat, his mouth open in a dumbfounded expression.

"Oh, my God, Kurt. That was amazing. Tell me you are in the music program at school!" Nick said.

"Yes, I am. I was just fooling around here. Jeff needed to have three student to play for so he could get work study, I needed an accompanist...so we were trying to see if we fit. What do you two think?" Kurt asked, looking from Blaine to Nick and back again.

"I'd say you two make a great pair. If you sing like that all the time...well, wow. I have some stiff competition now," Nick said.

"Oh, are you in the music program? I thought you said you were taking Forestry Ecosystems with Blaine?" Kurt asked, confused.

"Yeah, I'm taking the forestry because I needed a general science credit, but I'm in the vocal program, too. Maybe we'll see each other on campus, Kurt," Nick said, grinning. He was totally impressed with the newest addition to the program.

They decided to walk out back again and have some dessert before ending the day. Blaine and Kurt were holding hands walking down the hall to the stairs as Jeff and Nick brought up the rear. They both watched as Kurt and Blaine kissed and then held hands all the way down the hallway.

"I think you have a lot of competition, Nick. He's good," Jeff whispered. Nick just shrugged, still reeling from the shock of finding such an amazing voice.

He looked at Jeff for a second, then raised his eyebrows, "Oh, you mean musically?"

"Yes, what did you think I meant?" Jeff whispered back.

Nicky looked at Blaine's ass as he walked a few feet ahead and got a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, like that, is it? Well, if you get him, I want Kurt," Jeff said in a soft whisper close to Nicky's ear, grinning back at Nick. They walked behind the boys, admiring the view the rest of the way down the stairs and out to the yard again.

They all walked back out, Kurt stopping in the kitchen to bring out a blackberry pie he'd made the night before. Blaine smirked at it, remembering just exactly what they had done with the leftover blackberries. Kurt probably still had the stains on his skin. He looked over at Kurt and licked his lips, very innocently. Kurt blushed to the roots of his hair.

All of this interplay wasn't lost on Nick and Jeff, who looked from Blaine to Kurt and back again. They both broke out in big grins and bumped shoulders.

"Ah...let's talk about the music program? I was wondering about Dr. Forsythe and his views on the current music being produced on Broadway today compared with a few years ago..." Kurt started and they were all talking about it in a few minutes. Blaine would still stop every once in a while and look fondly at Kurt. They were so busy looking at each other, neither noticed how their new friends were reacting. Nick kept his eyes on Blaine and Jeff was mesmerized by Kurt. They all ate their pie with whipped cream on it and as the afternoon ended, the two guests said their goodbyes and left.

Still sitting in the backyard, Blaine got up and went over to the hammock, sliding in and looking at Kurt in invitation. Kurt followed and they cuddled together, gently swinging as they talked to each other about their days.

"Blaine, why did you let Nick come for lunch? Was he all that fascinating?" Kurt asked.

Blaine glanced over to his fiancé. "Well, I thought part of college was meeting new people and becoming friends with some of them, exchanging ideas and getting to know a little bit about the rest of the world. Nick was friendly, obviously smart and fun to talk to, and I thought you might like to meet him, too," Blaine said.

"Did you notice his eyes never left your butt whenever he could walk a few steps behind you?" Kurt asked.

"Ah...no. I don't have eyes in the back of my head, Kurt. How was I to know that?"

"Well, you should have known how flirty he was being!" Kurt said with a teeny bit of venom in his voice.

"Flirty? Really? Like what for instance?" Blaine asked, his eyes wide.

"He was actually batting his eyelashes at you...like in a bad French movie. He was practically undressing you with his eyes, Blaine. He touched your hand every time he handed you something – the salt shaker at lunch, a napkin, even the bowl of whipped cream for the pie. Didn't you notice that?" Kurt rolled his eyes and his body was getting stiff next to Blaine. And not in a good way.

"Well, what about Jeff? The first time I meet him, he has your head in his lap! I'd say that was a lot more than just flirty!" Blaine retorted, a bit more irritated than he had meant to be.

"I was unconscious, he was trying to make sure I was okay. Would you rather he just left me on the cold floor, Blaine?" Kurt snapped.

"Of course not, but he was caressing your neck I'm pretty sure. Ask Finn. I wanted to punch him," Blaine said, looking daggers at Kurt. "He was not supposed to touch you, Kurt."

Kurt just looked at Blaine, wondering why he was being so mean. Why was he so upset? Jeff didn't mean anything to Kurt. He might be a good piano player, but it wasn't worth fighting about.

"Do you want me to tell him we can't work together? I don't want you to think I'm up in the studio _fucking_ someone when all I'm doing is practicing for my vocal class. I can find someone else, Blaine. It doesn't have to be Jeff. If you don't trust me..." Kurt looked so hurt, Blaine felt really bad.

"I trust you, Kurt. You just don't understand. I don't know how to explain it to you. Let me think for a while? Just come close and cuddle with me, okay?" Blaine requested. Kurt gave him a hurt look, then looked away, but he still burrowed into Blaine's side. His arms found their way around his fiancé's waist and his nose was buried in Blaine's neck. In a very few minutes he was getting Blaine's shirt wet with his tears.

They were still swaying in the hammock when Blaine felt the dampness of his shirt and realized he had made Kurt cry. He felt terrible, and all over two boys they hardly knew.

"Kurt, baby...can we go up to our room? It's a little chilly out here and I want to talk," Blaine said in a soft voice, clearing the tears from Kurt's face with his thumbs.

Kurt got up and limped into the house. It had gotten darker outside, so it had to be after nine o'clock. They hadn't had any supper. He stopped in the kitchen to get the leftover sandwiches and some juice to take to the bedroom. Finn and Puck were in the living room watching a movie and didn't notice when Kurt and Blaine walked by in the hallway. They climbed the stairs, Blaine holding tightly to Kurt's hand, his arm around his waist as he steadied him. His knee seemed sore this evening.

They went into the bedroom and Kurt set the food on the table between the two chairs across from the bed. He sat down in one of the chairs and started to remove his shoes. Blaine came over and knelt in front of Kurt, taking over and removing the shoes himself. He took off Kurt's socks and then his vest and tie, folding each item or hanging them up in the closet. He finally got down to the last garments, taking off the leg brace before he tackled the jeans and Kurt was sitting in his briefs.

Blaine removed his own clothes, then found their pajamas. He helped Kurt off with his last remaining piece of clothing and on with the silk pj's. He put on his own and and picked Kurt up, setting him down on the bed.

"Blaine, I'm sorry. I know you're trustworthy and loyal," Kurt said, his hands on Blaine's chest. "What I'm worried about is that someone who is flashier, cuter, and smarter than me, or can sing better than me will come along and sweep you off your feet. I mean...well, when I came along, I was the only person your age except Lenore in the whole camp. It's not as if the boys were lining up to go find you at the logging camp. What I'm trying to say is...did you just settle for me because you had a lack of viable options?" Kurt asked, trying valiantly to stop a single tear form sliding down his cheek.

Blaine stood there, his mouth open. He had no idea what to say. Kurt wasn't done though.

"Really, Blaine, I don't want you to take this in the wrong way. Okay? You had limited experience while living most of your life in that camp, so I am afraid your judgment of people might bring you trouble. You didn't grow up with so many bad people, so how do you know when you come across one? You are too trusting, Blaine, and I'm afraid for you."

Blaine stood for a while in front of Kurt, then sat on the mattress beside him, taking his hands in his own and holding them tightly.

"Kurt, it was always you, no matter how many people I meet in my life it will always be you. I didn't have a boyfriend before you, that much is true, but I did have options. That camp may be back in the wilderness but plenty of great looking guys went through there, and many of them were gay. You'd be surprised. The day I saw you, I knew you were all I ever wanted.

"Kurt, I don't expect everything in our lives is going to go smoothly. That doesn't happen for anyone and it wouldn't be good anyway. How can you learn and grow if you don't have adversity? I admit that when we have had a few things that went wrong and we had misunderstandings we did not do what was best or healthiest for us. I would hope we can learn from our mistakes, though. I can see in your eyes that you want to run. Kurt, please don't do that. I don't want to fight with you over something so innocent as making friends. I don't want to fight at all. I can be jealous, too, and I am trying my hardest not to say anything about it because I do trust you. Can you show me the same courtesy?" Blaine asked.

Kurt hung his head. He did not want Blaine thinking of him as a powder keg ready to explode. He trusted Blaine. He really did. They needed to fix this.

"Blaine? Can we...can we go to bed now? I want your arms around me. I want to be close to you and feel how warm you are when we hold each other. I want to fill my eyes with the sight of you, I want to smell that amazing scent that means we're that close – that smell of spring rain and vanilla cookies that I cannot get enough of. I want to kiss you and taste your skin and know that you are mine for the rest of my life because I love you," Kurt said, falling forward into Blaine's arms.

Blaine pulled back the covers and slid in, bringing Kurt with him. He kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom," Blaine said and got back out of bed, leaving Kurt under the sheets. He was only gone a few minutes and came back to find the bed empty. A panic rose up in him, starting to strangle him. It was like he couldn't breathe. He was only gone a minute – this was so unfair of Kurt. He'd run before when they were at the logging camp and Blaine had followed him and brought him back.

Blaine sat down, his head in his hands. Yes, he had followed Kurt twice before. And he would do it again. He would do it a thousand times if he needed to. He blinked back bitter tears of defeat and looked around to gather his clothes so he could head out to find Kurt once again. With a sigh, he stood up off the bed and began to pick up a pair of jeans.

How did Kurt move so quickly? Had he even gotten dressed before he left? Blaine looked over to the sofa and noticed the quilt that they kept there for snuggling was gone. Had Kurt taken that to keep himself warm? He must have been far more upset than Blaine had even imagined.

Just as he got to the closet to find a warm shirt, he heard Kurt's voice.

"Blaine? What's keeping you? I'm getting lonely out here," Kurt said.

Blaine whipped around. Kurt was standing in just his pajama pants, quilt wrapped loosely around his arms at the French doors to the balcony. He looked at Blaine with expectation, then his brow furrowed when he noticed tears rolling down Blaine's cheeks.

"Blaine! What's wrong, baby?" He asked, dropping the quilt and hurrying to Blaine's side, looking into his face and wiping away the tears.

"N..n.. . Oh, Kurt. Nothing's wrong. Everything is so right. I love you so much," Blaine stuttered. Kurt wrapped him in a quick embrace and then took his hand and led him out to the balcony where they had a small loveseat. Blaine sat down and pulled Kurt onto his lap, wrapping the quilt around them against the chilly air. Kurt's arms automatically wrapped themselves around Blaine's neck and he kissed his cheek.

"Look, you can see Orion's Belt through that willow tree," Kurt said with a brightness in his voice.

"And Ursus Major!" Blaine said. He was never so glad to be holding Kurt and not be looking for him to bring him home.

"Blaine? Tell me what's wrong. Please. Did I do something?" Kurt asked, looking at Blaine's face to read whatever was there.

"No, you did nothing wrong. When I came back and you were gone - - I thought you were really gone. As in you left because you were angry at me for making such a big deal over Jeff. Kurt, we can't let other people get between us," Blaine said in a soft voice. "We can't. We need each other more than we need anyone, and I'm sorry if I came off as being a jealous asshole, but I guess I'm selfish. I don't want to share you. At least not in that way...I don't want to stop you from having friends, Kurt, I really don't, but I admit I was upset when I saw you lying on that sofa in your professor's office with your head in his lap – and then I find out he's going to be your accompanist? Well, the only defense I have for my actions is that I'm human."

Kurt looked at Blaine for a few moments and then took his hand and kissed it.

"Blaine, I will find a different accompanist if I need to. Nothing is worth having you this upset. Don't beat yourself up for having a very human reaction to a situation you couldn't control. We communicate in all the best ways so much of the time, I think we take it for granted. We need to sit down and talk it through when things like this come up, okay? We are such similar people, I was jealous, too. Nicky is a good looking guy, plus he can carry on an intelligent conversation and he is very charming. I was feeling threatened, Blaine, and I'm not proud of the way I acted. I was having flashbacks to Hank. I don't want to share you, either, at least not in that way. We need to find some new friends that aren't good looking single gay guys, don't you think?" Kurt laughed.

Blaine laughed, too, and slipped his arms around Kurt, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder.

They sat on the balcony, watching the stars and even though they were not as bright as they were on the mountain meadow, they were still beautiful.


	33. Chapter 33 - Halloween

**October 31st: Halloween**

Kurt finished singing his solo and sat down. He felt like he had boundless energy and it was increasingly difficult for him to settle down and sit through the next student's song. It was October 31st, Halloween, and he and Blaine had a party tonight. Finn and Puck were at home decorating and as soon as his class let out, Kurt would be meeting Blaine in the parking lot before heading home.

Kurt was feeling kind of down. He had not wanted to make Blaine jealous, so he told Jeff it probably wouldn't work out for him to be his accompanist. Jeff looked sad, but took it in stride. Since then, Kurt had tried two more piano players, but they just didn't work out. He was determined to make something work, getting an A in this class was important for him to keep his scholarship. The last person was up for their solo and he sat through it, thinking critical thoughts of the girl who was obviously nervous. Kurt shook his head – here he was being unkind and he knew Blaine would be disappointed in him if he knew. He clapped for the girl and gave her a warm smile. Somehow it made him feel better than if he'd been mean.

After class, Kurt made his way to the SUV and saw Blaine leaning against it. He was wearing his navy pea coat and a scarf that Kurt had knitted for him. Blaine had been surprised that Kurt knew how to knit – a surprise for both of them when they had given each other knitted scarves for Valentine's Day as Blaine could also knit. Kurt's was made of a silk and wool blend yarn and it was a light blue with shades of navy, cornflower, aqua, and a little gold blended in. Blaine said it was all the colors of Kurt's eyes. The one Kurt made for Blaine was made of lamb's wool in shades of green, brown, and grays to remind Blaine of the forest.

As Kurt approached the parking lot, he saw there was someone talking to Blaine. It was Nicky again. Would that man ever leave Blaine alone? Kurt had been in a great mood earlier, but now? He tried not to show his irritation as he approached.

"Hi Blaine, how was Forestry Eco class today? Did you save a forest?" Kurt asked, looking deep into Blaine's eyes with raw emotion that had nothing to do with the words he had just spoken. His eyes burned into Blaine's and he got very close, his lips almost touching Blaine's. Then at the last possible moment, as Blaine was leaning forward to kiss Kurt, Kurt turned away and pulled back as if he were just noticing Nick for the first time.

"Oh, hello, Nick! How are you?" he cooed at the man, ignoring Blaine all of a sudden. Blaine glared at his fiancé.

"Ah, I'm fine, Kurt. Blaine was just inviting me to your party tonight." Nick smiled a shaky and crooked smile at Kurt and backed away. "I'll see you tonight, Blaine. Thanks again for the invite!" Then Nick was gone across the parking lot to his own car, not looking back.

"Well, that was abrupt!" Kurt said, looking at Blaine.

"You make him nervous," Blaine explained. Kurt chuckled.

"Good. I don't like other boys hanging around what's mine."

Blaine sighed. Sometimes Kurt's unfounded jealousy was hard to live with. They had spoken about it before, but Blaine didn't have much that he could complain about since it was his fault that Jeff wasn't Kurt's accompanist any more. He sighed again, this time Kurt looked at him with a guilty face.

"I'm sorry, Blaine. I promise to be nice to him at the party. I just don't want anyone taking you away from me," Kurt apologized.

"I think we need to talk about that. We have both been jealous when there was no need of it. I was unfair to tell you I didn't want Jeff to be your partner in the music class. Do you think he still has an opening?" Blaine asked.

"I invited him to the party, so we can ask him then. Thank you, Blaine, you didn't have to do that you know but I'm glad you did," Kurt said before kissing Blaine. "Now, let's get home and get the party started."

Jeff walked up to the house, he wasn't sure if this was a place he should be – all the lights were out and it looked like nobody was home. He walked up on the porch and reached to ring the bell just as something that felt very like a spider web fell on his head. He shrieked and tried to get it off, jumping around in a frantic dance until he heard laughing coming from a window. Hanging out of the window were Blaine, Puck, and Finn, all having trouble getting their faces back to looking serious.

"Okay, you got me...now come on, let me in!" Jeff demanded, trying not to break into laughter.

"It's open, c'mon in," Puck called as they disappeared from their perch at the window.

Inside, Jeff found a dozen people all eating snacks and dancing to loud music. They were all dressed in costumes and as Jeff walked into the living room, he donned his mask. He had come dressed up, too. He had a long string coming out of the top of his hat with a tag attached. There were two white trash bags folded at the top and attached at his shoulders and each was filled a quarter full of dried leaves. Across the front of the bags and on the tag it read: LIPTON TEA. He was wearing a black mask and laughed when he came in and saw some of the other people in costumes.

Finn had on a pair of torn trousers and had painted his entire body green. He was walking around showing off his muscles and saying, "Hulk Smash!" Puck took advantage of his hairstyle and had dressed like a Mohawk, breech-clout, leggings, and all. He had oiled his body and his muscles were on display for all to see.

Kurt was dressed as a Venus Flytrap, his hands the traps. Blaine had hidden himself in the bedroom after everyone was there to put on his costume: a leather-look tight fitting body suit with cat ears and a long tail. It was skin tight and left nothing to the imagination. He walked down the stairs, slinking along until he saw Kurt in the kitchen. He cleared his throat and Kurt looked up, then did the best double-take Blaine had ever seen. Kurt stood there with his mouth open, staring as Blaine walked down the hallway like a cat, his eyes on Kurt. They met, Kurt's hands reaching around his fiancé to hold him close, trying to cover him up a bit from all the guests.

"Oh, my stars, Blaine! You can't come to the party like that!"

"Yes, I can. I'm decent!" Blaine protested and pulled away so he could go and say hello to the other guests. Kurt followed in his wake, glaring at anyone that looked for too long or in the wrong direction.

The music was loud, the party-goers even louder as they played games and laughed and had a good time.

"The first game is going to be: bobbing for apples!" Finn announced. "Yes, I know the last time you did that you were all in kindergarten but we're doing it now. The tub with apples floating in it is right in the center of the porch."

A mad scramble to get to the side of the huge washtub resulted in splashing and giggling as the participants got soaking wet trying for an apple of their own. As a few of the party-goers were able to get an apple, they moved away and more took their places.

Kurt was sitting on a bench at the end of the porch. He had seen Blaine walk this way, but lost track of him. The next person he saw lean over was none other than Blaine in his skin-tight cat suit, waving his ass in the air as if anyone could just look at it. Kurt growled under his breath. This was not going to happen. He got up to walk over to Blaine and someone was already there, no doubt ogling his fiance.

"Mine," Kurt said, oblivious to who was standing behind Blaine. Puck turned around and grinned.

"Hey, Kurt, what's up, dude? Having fun?" Puck asked.

"Ah..yes. Thanks for all your help. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a few words with Blaine," Kurt replied.

Puck nodded and walked over to a small group of coeds wearing skimpy harem costumes.

Kurt coughed, getting Blaine's attention. Just as Blaine turned around, apple in his teeth, Kurt's hands slicked down his sides and across his butt. He leaned in close to Blaine and whispered, "Care to meet me upstairs for a quick moment?"

Blaine stood up and curled himself around Kurt, rubbing his body in all the right places and Kurt took his hand. They disappeared up the stairs.

Jeff moved forward, having watched the play between Kurt and Blaine, and kneeled down by the tub to have Finn tie his his hands loosely behind his back. He leaned over to get the apple he was targeting in his sight and just as he went for it, whomever was across from him went for the same apple and they bumped heads with a resounding thump.

"Ouch!" he said, pulling his hands out of the string Finn had tied him up with. He looked across to see who he had bumped and the world just sort of stopped moving.

The boy across from him was kneeling with his eyes closed, struggling to undo the string holding his hands. Jeff was up in a split second, rushing over to untie him. He didn't know who it was – the lights were very dim on the porch and the boy was wearing a mask over his eyes. Jeff got his hands loose and helped him to his feet, arms around him to steady the poor kid. It was a good thing, too, because the boy was swaying and would have fallen if Jeff hadn't caught him. He ended up almost dragging him to a sofa and settling down next to him.

Most of the other people who had seen it were concerned a bit, but upon seeing Jeff take care of it they went back to their activities.

"Th..thank you..." the boy said, rubbing the lump on his head.

"Are you okay?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy. Wow, Jeff, you have a hard head!" the masked boy said and Jeff tried to place the voice in vain.

"Hey, I know you, your voice...?" Jeff stuttered.

"Jeff, you don't know me? After all I did to get your attention with the apple dunking?" the boy snickered.

Jeff reached over to take off his mask.

"Nicky?"

"Who else? Jeff, I've been trying to get your attention for weeks. Don't you...ah...?" Nick said, suddenly thinking that perhaps Jeff wasn't attracted to him as much as he was to Jeff. One look at his face told a different story, though. Jeff's eyes were wide and he looked at Nicky's face, trying to assure himself that this wasn't some elaborate joke. He decided it wasn't and leaned forward, placing his lips on Nicky's mouth the way he had thought about since meeting the boy at the beginning of the year. Nicky responded and they slid down on the sofa, kissing while the rest of the party swirled around them, oblivious.

The party went on, some of the guests getting a bit drunk but most just enough to have fun. They played more silly games from their childhood - -the sillier the better as a round of musical chairs ended up with both Blaine and Kurt being disqualified for sitting in each others' laps, Puck tried to start Seven Minutes in Heaven but Finn, Blaine, and Kurt put an immediate stop to that, thinking about the drunken night at Santana's house.

Kurt gave the instructions for the next game. Everyone got into one of three lines and the first person in the line was given a grapefruit. He put it under his chin and held it to his neck with his chin. He had to pass it to the next teammate without dropping it, they could only use their chins to hold the grapefruit. By the time one team had won, there were giggles and nervous laughter as the contestants passed it, having to get very close and almost lip to lip to get a hold of the grapefruit.

Kurt's team won.

They played half the night away and the guests left a few at a time until it was just the four housemates, until they went into the lounge to find two boys tangled together: Jeff and Nicky were asleep on their sofa.

"Should we wake them up?" Puck asked.

"No...they look so peaceful, let's let them sleep. Since when are they together?" Kurt asked.

"Shhhh...I haven't seen them together, maybe it was when they bumped heads at the apple dunking?" Finn asked.

"It took a good head pounding to make Jeff come to his senses? Don't tell me he hasn't noticed Nicky giving him doe eyes for weeks? Well, I think it was inevitable," Blaine said.

"Let's let them sleep. I'm going to bed, we can clean up in the morning," Puck said, spreading a quilt over the two sleeping boys.

_**November 2nd.**_

"Are you sure this is okay? I've had Kurt angry at me before and it isn't pretty," Finn whispered to Puck.

"No, it's cute and sweet and they're going to love it. Trust me," Puck reassured Finn.

"Ah...I'm not so sure. Maybe we should just leave it inside the door and run?" Finn suggested. He thought it was a good idea a little while ago, but was rethinking it now.

_**An hour ago:**__ Finn and Puck were coming home from early morning football practice. Puck wasn't on the team, but with his enrollment starting Spring semester at the college, the coach allowed him to come to practice with the rest of the team. They stopped by the grocery store to get milk and eggs and bread for a big breakfast when Finn asked the clerk what day it was so he could write a check. _

_Walking to the parking lot, he turned to Puck._

"_You know, today is the day Kurt met Blaine, hard to believe it was only a year ago."_

"_How did you remember that?" Puck asked._

"_I made posters when Kurt went missing. When we finally found him he told me that it was November second when the train stopped in the lumber camp and Blaine found him. I wonder if they remember?" Finn said, looking at Puck._

"_Are you kidding me? Kurt is the most romantic guy I have ever met in my life. Of course he remembers. I think maybe we should find somewhere to be tonight so they can have the house to themselves."_

"_We can do that. Let's go over to play Mario Kart at the frat house. I'll call Frank."_

"_You know, we should get them something," Puck said._

"_Yeah, but what? I don't think anything is opened but the grocery," Finn said._

_Puck put out a hand to stop Finn and pointed out a little girl sitting at the edge of the parking lot. She had a large cardboard box with a blanket over it and a small sign, scrawled with crayon: FREE KITTENS. The boys looked at each other and grinned._

"So, now is not the time to back out. Be brave, you know they'll love it," Puck encouraged.

"Okay," Finn said reluctantly.

They knocked at the door. A scramble of bedcovers and some whispering was heard, then: "Come in?"

They opened the door and there were Blaine and Kurt, both looking a bit frazzled, their lips red and kiss-swollen, their faces with the same blush of red, the nervous twitching of hands as Kurt's fingers sought and found Blaine's.

"What's up?" Blaine asked.

"Just wanted to wish you a happy anniversary, but if we're interrupting something?" Finn said, getting ready to leave.

"No, no. We were just, ah, just..." Kurt started to say.

"...celebrating!" Blaine finished his thought.

"This won't take a minute. We brought you breakfast in bed. French toast, eggs, bacon, and hash browns. Orange juice, fresh squeezed." Finn said, carrying the heavy tray over to the bedside table, trying not to see the open bottle of lube there.

"And we brought you a present," Puck said, handing them a box, unwrapped. "Better open it right away."

Blaine took the box, letting the blanket fall down to his naked waist. Puck whistled but Blaine ignored him. He opened the lid of the box and out stepped a tiny kitten with long hair and golden eyes. She was mostly black with a white chest and a few white markings on her face and paws. Blaine's eyes lit up.

"I named her 'Figaro' after the kitten on Pinocchio, but you can change her name if you want to," Puck said. Kurt smiled at the boys.

"Thank you, she's beautiful. I cannot believe you remembered our anniversary!"

"I am a bit forgetful, but I'll never forget that day, Kurt. We were so afraid we'd lost you. I just want you to know I wouldn't be the same if we hadn't found you again, and we have Blaine to thank for that I think," Finn said.

"We're going to leave you two to your breakfast. I set up the stuff for the kitten in the hallway, we can figure out the details later," Puck said.

"We're going over to see Frank at the frat house later, probably spend the night. We'll see you in the morning," Finn added and they were gone.

"Wow, subtle, huh?" Blaine laughed.

"He was never known for his subtlety," Kurt giggled. "So, we have the house to ourselves tonight."

Blaine smiled, gathering Kurt against him and dragging him under the blanket once more.

"Hey, we have breakfast out there!" Kurt argued. Blaine sighed and pulled the blanket off. They ate, feeding each other little bits and kissing the whole time. It wasn't long before the food was forgotten and they were back under the blankets.

Blaine turned to Kurt and smiled. He kissed him, just a brush of lips to begin with and all of his concentration was on those lips: the warmth, the softness of the caress, the breathy gasp as Kurt kissed back turning it into something more than just a kiss. It was a memory of what had been. It was a promise of what was to come. It was the immediate love and need and want that they felt at this minute.

Blaine eased his lover back on the mattress, stroking his hands down his sides and just gazing into those smoky blue eyes. He studied them, seeking to find what Kurt was thinking. Kurt looked back with a steady gaze, his eyes seeming to turn from the ocean blue with bits of gray, green and highlights of golden sun to a darker, stormy blue as his pupils dilated. It took just that unintentional change, something Kurt didn't even control, to make Blaine so hard he was aching.

"Kurt...oh, Kurt..." Blaine started but discovered he had no words to speak. Kurt reached up a finger and placed it over his lips to ask him not to speak. He pulled Blaine down so their chests were pasted together as Kurt kissed him again, this time licking his way into Blaine's mouth and tasting the sweetness of the orange juice he had just finished. As always when he wanted to prolong things, Kurt explored Blaine's mouth: finding the back of his teeth and then softly rubbing the roof of his mouth and tangling with his tongue as Blaine whined to have more.

Being a bit impatient, Blaine pulled back, moving to kiss down Kurt's neck to the place he could never resist where his neck met his shoulder. A place that never failed to bring good shivers down Kurt's back and swirl in his belly where his blood raced along carrying it to his cock. It was Kurt's turn to whine and Blaine kissed his way back to Kurt's jaw and up to his ear, Kurt's goose bumps were running down his arms and he shivered.

The ache in Blaine's groin was getting worse and he was torn between doing something fast and hard to alleviate it and going slowly to savor every minute for Kurt. He hadn't come to any conclusion when he felt Kurt buck his hips so their cocks were side by side, the silken skin over the rock hard muscles sliding together in an amazing friction that would very quickly end this. Blaine would have protested and asked for the slowness and torture of making it all last, but then Kurt opened his mouth and what came out bordered on obscene, it was almost enough to make Blaine come just from the sound.

"Oh, my stars, Kurt, I can't wait..." Blaine whispered.

"Don't wait then..." Kurt managed to whisper back between moans and whines. He wanted Blaine right now, wanted to feel him, wanted to hear him - - and he wasn't disappointed. Blaine wailed as the friction increased and every nerve was tuned in to the feeling, every blood vessel and capillary was open to the blood rushing through Blaine's body to feed his cock as the warmth and the anticipation grew. He was at that point when he knew it was inevitable he was going to come, but it wasn't quite there, just that nanosecond when the want was going to be fulfilled but just a moment...and then he looked at the wanton face of his lover, and Kurt had the most beautiful face Blaine had ever seen and it was enough to make him close his eyes to keep that in his memory forever as his body exploded with the hot fireworks that made him stop everything to experience the unbelievable joy of an orgasm with the love of his life. It went on forever and Kurt's hand held their cocks together as both of them stopped all motion to try and come down from their climax together.

A while later the two were cleaned up and lying in the bed once again, Blaine's head on Kurt's chest as they spoke quietly about all the memories of the past year.

"It seems like more than a year, Kurt. It's like I have known you all my life - -or at least like I was waiting for you all my life and then the day I was picking up coal to feed the fire and saw the bouncers remove a body from the empty train car...that was the day my life actually started. Before that, it was seventeen years of waiting," Blaine said.

"I don't remember much about the train, just that I was thirsty and sucked the rainwater off the floor of that filthy car, and was thankful for every drop. I think I had given up. Then I opened my eyes and saw the most gorgeous boy I had never even imagined, like an angel. I truly think we were meant to be together, Blaine. I honestly do." Kurt put his fingers in between Blaine's and held tight for a moment, then relaxed his hand as Blaine pulled it close to his mouth and kissed Kurt's knuckles.

"I do believe that, with all my heart. I saw your face as you opened your eyes and I knew you had been sent there for me. You were in my heart that very first day and you haven't left it."

"And we're going to spend the rest of our lives together," Kurt said and Blaine turned his face up for Kurt to kiss.

"Hey, remember the bear when we were camping?" Kurt asked.

"All the years I spent on that mountain and that was the closest I had ever seen a bear, it scared the crud outta me!" Blaine laughed. "Funny though, I wasn't scared for me, I was more scared for you. Scared I wouldn't be able to save you. Thinking back, that bear wasn't the least bit interested in us, he was just curious about the things in camp. It made me so frightened just the same," Blaine confessed.

"I miss being there with just you, Blaine. I love going to college and I love it that we see Finn and Puck and all our friends here - -but I miss the days when it was just you and me. I have given that a lot of thought lately and I have come to some conclusions. I need to talk them over with you, Blaine, but I was waiting for the best time," Kurt said, suddenly serious.

"You know I will always listen. You sound sad somehow? Just how serious is this thing?"

"Life altering," Kurt said with a sad smile.

Blaine sat up, pulling Kurt to be next to him and this time as they leaned against the headboard Kurt was the one with his cheek against Blaine's chest with Blaine's arms tightly wrapped around him, holding him.

"I have always wanted to be on a Broadway stage, since I was a little kid. It was my life's dream. It was what got me through the bad days at school, what made me get up in the morning and get dressed even when I dreaded another day of bullying. It was the motivation of my whole life, Blaine. I can't explain it other than to say it: I loved belting out a song, getting the applause, being in the spotlight. Then things changed. I found you. Now all my days, all my hours are living my best for you. Broadway might have been nice, but being in this music program isn't something I need any more. I used to need the attention it got me like I needed food to eat and air to breathe, but this semester at school? I like music, I even love music and want it as part of my life – but, Blaine, it isn't what I need to live any more. You are. Our life together is," Kurt said, barely able to get the words started but when he did it all came tumbling out.

Blaine was silent, letting Kurt talk, just kissing his hair softly and running his thumb over his knuckles of the hand he held.

"I began to look within myself, to wonder what I needed to do to make our life happen, what would let me shine with the same passion I had for music. It seemed right at the tips of my fingers, but I couldn't grasp it. Blaine, you found it for me. I should have known the answer to the question of us would be just that...something to do with us," Kurt started to explain.

"But what? How did I change your mind, pull you away from the music you love? Oh, Kurt, I would never want to do that to you. You don't have to change a thing to be with me, I love everything about you and we can make the music work. I can get a job in New York. We would be happy there together," Blaine protested, but Kurt put up a hand to stop him.

"The day I fell and hurt my knee again, the day you had to do my schedule was a turning point in my life, though I didn't know it at the time. This semester I found that while I enjoyed the singing and the music classes, I look forward to drafting class each day. It just fits me. There are rules to follow, exact things that must be done in a precise manner, meticulous detail is essential, all things I love in everything I do. The end product is exact and useful, but what makes it so good, so wonderful is that by following all the rules you can be free to design anything your heart desires. I found it hard at first, all the exacting things that I never knew were part of it, then the discovery that by knowing the rules, I could be free in my mind to imagine it all and get it on paper so it could become a reality. That is the thrill of it. I've already spoken to the professors in that department and I can switch to Civil Engineering next semester. What do you think?"

Blaine sat still for a few minutes, turning it all over in his head. He didn't want Kurt to give up on a lifetime dream just for him.

"Kurt, I don't know what to think. I have this fear that you are deceiving yourself about what you want – that maybe you want to be with me so badly you have made yourself believe that you don't want Broadway anymore, when in reality it is still your dream that you have squeezed into a tiny part of your heart to make room for me. And while I find that very flattering, I'm worried that it will eventually eat away at you and make you resent me or hate me for taking that dream away," Blaine said, tears pooling in his eyes.

"So, are you saying that you don't believe me?" Kurt asked, beginning to sound offended.

"No, of course not. I don't think you know you're doing it. I think maybe you've convinced yourself that you don't want that dream anymore because you don't want to disappoint me, but Kurt – if you still want to go ahead and sing and make a career of that I don't want to stand in your way. I can change my major and study something else. I've never lived in a big city and who knows? Maybe I would love it. We won't know until we try," Blaine said as Kurt backed away a little.

"So, what you're saying is that it's okay for you to sacrifice your dream for me, but not okay for me to sacrifice mine for you? Really, Blaine? Because that is just saying my dream isn't as important as yours in the whole scheme of things, that my sacrifice wouldn't mean as much? That I'm not allowed to change my mind and go after something that I believe in my heart is the right thing, something I could grow to love as much as -if not more than – my childhood dream?" Kurt was getting more angry by the minute, huffing and slitting his eyes at Blaine. He got off the bed and began going through his drawers, taking out clothes and throwing some on the floor as he pulled on briefs and an old T-shirt, moving to the next drawer to find his yoga pants. He couldn't find his socks, so he put on a pair of Blaine's pink argyles and his Converse trainers.

In the mean time, Blaine was arguing, saying their dreams were worth the same, it was an equal relationship and he was just trying to make it right but Kurt was the most stubborn mule he had ever come across, but Kurt wasn't listening. Blaine was going crazy, he knew when Kurt got this worked up, he did things without thought. It was their anniversary and this is not the way he had planned it in his head.

"Kurt. KURT!" Blaine tried to get through to him, but it wasn't working. He would have to do something more drastic, much as he hated to.

"And another thing, Mr. Anderson, while we're at it..." Kurt started, but found a hand over his mouth and his arm twisted behind his back. He couldn't move without damaging his arm, so he tried to bite Blaine's hand, but to no avail. He tried once more and found himself face down with Blaine's knee in his back and his arm still twisted behind him.

"Are you going to stop and listen to me, Kurt?" Blaine asked in a steady voice that did not betray the anxious man behind it.

"Let me go!" Kurt shouted.

"No," Blaine answered. He knew Kurt had the advantage of weight and reach, but Blaine had been in the fight game too long to let any little advantage go unused and he kept his knee in just the spot to keep Kurt from turning over or gaining any leverage. Kurt fussed and fumed, getting angrier by the second. Blaine appeared to be absolutely calm on the surface, which infuriated Kurt all the more.

They struggled for most of fifteen minutes, Blaine not giving Kurt a second to retaliate. Kurt finally wore himself out, the red hot anger seeping through him. He relaxed his muscles and just laid on the floor like a damp dishrag.

"Are you willing to give me two minutes to speak to you, Kurt? Without saying anything, without judging me?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, just let me up," Kurt agreed. Blaine let him up, giving him a hand to hold as he got to his feet. He let the hand go as if it were burning him and glared at Blaine. "Okay, you have two minutes, then I'm leaving."

"Kurt, please don't go. I will go if you want me to, but you promised you would never run from me again," Blaine said. Kurt nodded.

"I have something I want you to read. Then I want to say something, is that alright?"

"Agreed."

Blaine walked over to his dresser and opened his top drawer. He got out a box and removed a wrinkled piece of notebook paper and smoothed it on the dresser top, then handed it to Kurt. On it were their vows:

_I promise to put your happiness before my own._

_I promise to do the stuff neither of us wants to do, if you really don't want to do it more than I don't want to do it._

_I promise to defend you to others, even if you're wrong, and save the argument about it until we are alone._

_I promise to make sure it is not just that I am feeling sick or hungry or grouchy BEFORE I get angry with you. _

_I promise to give you the benefit of the doubt. I am not marrying an idiot and I will trust you to do the right thing, even if I can't see the outcome right away._

_I promise not to give in to you for the sole purpose of using that against you in the next argument._

_I promise not to keep score._

_I promise not to put the children before you. (within reason)_

_I promise that it will not matter if you get old, fat, skinny, or anything else. I love you, not just the package you come in._

_I promise to listen to your heart, not just your voice. If it's something we cannot say with words, we will find a way to make our thoughts known to each other._

_I promise to keep an open mind at all times, and give you permission to remind me of this if I lose sight of it from time to time._

_I promise to let you have space to breathe and make your way in the world without me suffocating you. But at the same time, I promise to be there with you every step of the way - and we will find the balance we need to achieve that._

_I promise to clarify my expectations. How can we know what the other wants or needs if they don't tell us? _

_I promise never to go to bed angry. We will stay up until we can work it out, no running away._

_And I promise that my love for you will endure anything the world throws at us, that we will cleave together against it all, and respect each other for always._

Kurt sank down on the bed, reading each line over twice, and by the time he was done, he was crying. He held out his hands to Blaine and they hugged, Blaine rubbing Kurt's back in little circles, trying to comfort him.

"I love you, Blaine," Kurt said, his head down in shame as he thought about what he was about to do. "I don't know why I get so angry. I thought I had such a great idea, I'd planned it all in my head – I could be a civil engineer and you could work for the Bureau of Land Management or the Forestry Department and it would work out for us. But it felt like you didn't have any faith in me, as if I were some child that said he wanted to be Santa when he grew up. I really have given this a lot of thought, Blaine. I don't want to throw my life away just to be with you like some albatross around your neck. I want to work this out so we can be together and be happy. I don't think one of us has to give up all of our dreams. I don't," Kurt said with such sincerity Blaine was now tearing up. His eyes burned and he couldn't think of words for a moment.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Kurt. I should have listened to you. I jumped to the conclusion that you were just giving up and I didn't want to be the person to take your dreams away. Forgive me?"

"Yes, we both need to work on communication and remembering our vows. I don't like it when we fight," Kurt said and threw his arms around Blaine, kissing him.

"Let's talk about it then. I do want to listen and you can tell me what you're thinking," Blaine offered. "But let me get some clothes on first. We can go lay in the hammock and talk about our future while we sway in the sunshine."

Kurt had made lemonade with raspberry juice for its pink color and the boys were swaying together in the hammock, Kurt's head nestled on Blaine's chest once again.

"I wasn't kidding when I told you how much I love that drafting class, Blaine. It just grew on me. I was thinking that if you work for something in the forestry field, chances are you will be gone from time to time, but mostly you need to work near the forest, right? Well, if I am designing buildings and things I can do it anywhere. Such as a small town in Oregon? Then we can be together and it won't do too much to stress one of us more than the other, right?" Kurt proposed.

"I can see that working. If you truly love it, Kurt, because I was serious about not wanting to crush your dream of Broadway. I don't want you to resent me a few years down the line," Blaine repeated what he had said earlier because he wasn't sure if Kurt had heard him.

"Blaine, I do love music, but I can sing anywhere. I don't need an audience to enjoy it the way Rachel does. What you said about us influencing the other -well, in a way that is true, but not in a destructive way. Living with you in the Logging Camp was what changed me, Blaine. I don't think people who make careers of singing on Broadway or acting in movies or anything like that are bad people, not at all. But for myself, I want to make a difference in this world. I want to leave it a better place than when I found it in some small way. If I can design a house that uses less resources, that takes advantage of solar power for example, I will feel like I accomplished something even it is a small thing. I want to be a good person, Blaine," Kurt looked at his fiancé with his eyes large and his lip quivering. "I want you to be proud of me."

"Oh, Kurt, don't you know I'm proud of you every day. You are the kindest, most generous person I ever met and I love you. I think your idea is wonderful. What can I do to help?" Blaine asked.

"Hand me the glass of lemonade and we'll talk about it. I might need some help figuring out finances because I'm here on a music scholarship. I need to apply for other grants and scholarships for next semester if I'm going into design. Actually, I'm pretty excited about it all."

They planned and wrote lists and kissed until noon, then decided to let it all rest for a while.

"Hey, Blaine, would you like to go down to the beach and just sit in the water?" Kurt asked. Blaine was quick to agree and they packed the necessary things and were off in the Navigator in under an hour. Parking near the beach to walk to the ocean, they were as happy as they had ever been. Kurt, smeared with SPF 70 sunscreen, was the first in the ocean and he splashed Blaine as he came close.

"Oh, if it's war you want?" Blaine asked, then began splashing Kurt until he fell into the wave, giggling. They swam a little ways out, paddling around and holding on to each other. Blaine swam away and Kurt chased him, dunking him when he caught him. Blaine came up, shaking his head to rid it of the water his curls held on to and covering Kurt with salty spray. Kurt lunged himself at Blaine, relying upon his fiancé to catch him as he fell backwards into the water.

With his arms surrounding Kurt, he kissed him, pulling him closer to try to absorb some of Kurt's heat in the cool water. Kurt was more than willing and wrapped his arms around Blaine, dragging himself over Blaine's steadily rising arousal.

"Hmmmm, Kurt," Blaine hummed, enjoying the feel of Kurt's hard cock rubbing against him. It didn't take more than a few moments before he was just as hard and the two of them were sliding together and holding each other in the waves. Blaine reached over and pulled Kurt's swimsuit down enough that he could hold him in his hand, running it up and down Kurt's thick length while he whined for more. He couldn't let go of Blaine because he might lose him in the waves, so he held on for dear life as Blaine pumped his hand over Kurt's swollen cock. Kurt was quick to return the favor, all the while holding tight to Blaine's arm to keep from drifting away. Kurt pulled back, pulling up his swimsuit.

"Let's head back to the shore, this cold water is getting to me," Kurt said, coaxing Blaine along with kisses. Blaine followed along, taking Kurt's hand in his as they neared the shore.


	34. Chapter 34 - One Year Together

The couple returned home to a relatively empty house. Finn and Puck were over at the frat house with their friend Frank, no doubt eating greasy pizza, drinking 3.2 beer and playing video games. Blaine heaved a sigh of relief as he saw the empty driveway.

Walking up the stairs, picnic things in hand, Kurt heard a noise. Looking around the hallway outside his open door was the tiny kitten his brother and Puck had given them as an anniversary gift.

"C'mere, Figaro, here kitty," he coaxed, setting down the tray of food to pick up the little ball of fur.

Blaine knelt down, setting his tray down beside him on the floor.

"Aw, she is so cute. I've never really had a pet before. Just some wild things, like JayJay, that we found and nursed back to health to let them go back to the forest. I think Balto is the only one I ever saw anyone keep after they grew up," Blaine said.

"Well, to be fair, Balto is part dog, not all wolf, so I don't see Lenore letting him go back to the wild. She's too attached to that wolf-dog to ever let him go – which is fair since he is also attached to her," Kurt smiled.

"Have you ever had a cat?" Blaine asked.

"My mother had one. His name was Eeyore. Yeah, I know, not the most original name, is it? But he was a long-haired Manx and she called him Eeyore because he had a lot of gray in his fur and because he "lost" his tail. I remember going around the yard always on the lookout for that lost tail. I don't know what I would have done with it if I'd have found one – nailed it back on like Christopher Robin did? Sew it? Poor cat," Kurt giggled, which made Blaine giggle and soon they were laughing and it scared Figaro. The kitten tried to get loose, clawing at Kurt's hand but he held her tight.

"Ah, little girl, calm down, nobody's going to hurt you, honey," Kurt said to the tiny kitten, scratching and rubbing gently behind her ears. She finally began to purr.

"I think I'd purr if you rubbed behind my ears, too," Blaine said, trying not to appear jealous.

Kurt grinned at him.

"Oh, I'll rub you alright – and I bet I can make you purr, too."

Blaine smiled a wicked little smile and his eyes sparkled. "I just bet you can, too."

Scooping up the kitten, Kurt set him on the bed and went back for the tray of food. A fresh vegetable plate with hummus to dip them in, pannini sandwiches with thin slices of cheese, sliced tomatoes, basil, and turkey, with a pitcher of Red Zinger Iced Tea. For dessert they had sliced mangoes and peaches with a few blackberries. They sat on the top of the bedspread, a tablecloth spread out and all the things arranged like a picnic. They sat eating, telling stories of what they liked best about the past year, the things they learned about the world and about each other. Some of the things were sad: the trip to visit Blaine's dad's grave and Kurt's mother's grave. The trial of the boys who beat Kurt and left him for dead, the day Kurt fell and broke his leg. There were joyous things, too: seeing Burt again across the cookhouse and the utter amazement when he was finally able to hold his dad in his arms again. There were tender moments: when Kurt took Blaine to the Lake House as a way to make him whole again when the hustle and bustle of the city had threatened to swallow him; the hike through the woods the day they met the bear; Kurt's eyes when he turned to see the Stargazer Lily with the engagement ring in it's center; the day Kurt caught the biggest Chinook Salmon anyone had ever seen come out of that river; the day Blaine won his prize fight in the logging camp ring.

Then they spoke about the small things: Kurt learning to tie flies and play cribbage, Blaine going to a real school for the first time, both of them making the cut paper Valentines and the pysanky Easter eggs. The most surprising thing was Dave Karofsky coming to their rescue at the fight in the parking lot or when Hank thought he was going to have a threesome.

"Eww," Kurt said, remembering the man touching him. Blaine frowned, wishing he could have knocked the guy senseless.

Surprisingly, one of Kurt's favorite memories was of making cinnamon rolls in the cabin with Blaine. He was also very surprised about some of the things he learned to do: to not be embarrassed being naked in front of Blaine those first days when they washed before bed, and Blaine was so shocked when Kurt took him to the locked room at McKinley and gave him a blowjob before class one day. They both laughed about the "Seven Minutes in Heaven" at Santana's party.

There were a few regrets, the fight that sent Kurt into the clutches of the lumber camp bouncers, a few things like that. All in all, they agreed that although the year had contained some of the worst things in their lives, it was more than balanced out by all the wonderful, amazing things that they had experienced together. They really believed they had found their soulmates.

It was late in the evening when they gathered their dishes and cleaned up the remains of the picnic. Silently they went back to the room, putting Figaro in her bed for the night then taking each other's clothes off. Slowly and gently, knowing there was no rush, that they could take their time and feel each other, experience each other. In the spirit of the rest of the day, they continued to talk about the things they had experienced that year.

"Kurt, did you ever think you would be engaged before you were even twenty years old?" Blaine asked.

"Well, no. Honestly, I had never thought I'd ever find anyone to love the way I love you," he admitted. Blaine smiled, stroking Kurt's cheek from his temple to his chin.

"I didn't either. I must have done something good in my former life to deserve you," he said back. Kurt blushed.

"I did a lot of things this year that I never thought I would do before I was thirty, to tell you the truth. Things I had only a vague idea about, things I fantasized about," Kurt told him. "I had no idea how good some of those things could feel, both physically and in my mind, in my heart. Even things I had read about, thought I understood...they turned out to be different in real life."

"Worse?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, no, Blaine. So much better. It's like I have you all the time, I know you are mine and I am yours and we share that – but still, when we are apart for hours or days, well, I miss you so much. It's like a craving that gets worse as time goes on. I find that I want you, even after we make love and I've had all of you, the wanting you is still there afterwards. Do most people have that?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think so. I've never heard anyone say that, but Kurt? I feel the same way. That day you went to Seattle to see your dad, that was awful. I knew you needed me, but I couldn't come to you and even though it wasn't my fault, it felt like I had caused it. Like I was being punished. I was lost without you," Blaine confessed, kissing Kurt's temple and running a hand down his warm back.

"Did I tell you that Finn heard us the night we first went to my house? In the shower?" Kurt asked.

Blaine stared at him for a second. "Finn? How did you know he did?"

"He told me. When we were in Seattle and I had to go see the doctor about the anal tear – Finn wanted to know if you had been abusing me. He didn't think so, but I guess if you have that kind of injury, people tend to jump to conclusions. I had to assure him it was just an accident, that we were just learning about pleasing each other and he said he didn't think you would hurt me. He's my big brother, although he is younger, and he is just so much more protective since the night I disappeared. You can see why. Then he told me he heard us in the shower. He said he was glad we could have that between us, because as hard as he tries, he's never had that with Rachel. I feel bad for him sometimes because I know he loves her," Kurt said.

"I feel kind of weird that he was listening, we were pretty loud that first time as I recall," Blaine blushed.

"He said as soon as he figured out I was making happy noises, he left. He was just afraid at first I was crying, that maybe you had hurt me. He knows you now, though, so he wouldn't jump to the same conclusion."

"Good thing – I think he'd squarsh me with one hand if he thought I was hurting his brother."

Blaine slipped his arm in back of Kurt's shoulders and down to his waist as they lay in the bed and he was wrapped around his lover. Kurt scooted closer, turned sideways so he could bend his arm and place it on Blaine's chest, so he could feel his heart beating. His head was nestled under Blaine's chin.

"What have we done that you like, but never thought you would? Maybe something that scared you but we did it anyway?" Kurt asked.

"Going all the way. I had heard so many things about how painful it would be the first time, and Kurt, you are not small by any means. You are quite the opposite in fact, so I was really scared the first time," Blaine confessed, kissing Kurt's hair.

"I was, too. I'm glad we took things kind of slow, though. Practicing by prepping made it easier to understand and not all the feelings were new that night, which was comforting. Plus, I trusted you completely. I think that was the difference, the trust we had built in each other. My dad told me when I was a freshman that once I started doing it, I'd never want to stop. He was right. I couldn't understand it fully when he said that, never knew what the craving for your body would do to me. I understand now, and I'm grateful that he cared enough to tell me that," Kurt said, a sad smile on his face. "But...well, it's more than just your body you know, it's that you understand me, you care what I think...that's more seductive than even anything we have physically. He was right about that, too.

"You're lucky you have your dad, Kurt, he's so wonderful. I am glad we have his blessing," Blaine said, tracing patterns on Kurt's chest with his fingertip.

"I wish I had met yours," Kurt said, regret in his voice. Blaine nodded but didn't say anything.

They stopped for a few minutes to kiss and snuggle, Kurt biting Blaine's neck very softly as he watched the gooseflesh on his arms.

"What surprised you the most? I mean of all the things we have done." Blaine asked, looking into Kurt's eyes.

"That first kiss – when we were racing to milk the goats and I slipped on the straw?" Kurt laughed a little.

"Yeah, we had just started and that giant cockblock, Hugo! I never stop him from getting a little loving with Betsy or Bossy. That is not the mark of a gentleman, you know," Blaine said.

Kurt laughed. "But he's a nice tempered goat just the same. I like Hugo."

"It's probably for the best that he did. If I'd kept kissing you we would probably have ended up rolling into the manure pile," Blaine laughed.

"What surprised you the most?" Kurt asked, curiosity showing on his face in the dim light.

Blaine blushed so deep that Kurt could see his red face in the almost dark of the room. Blaine stopped and got under the covers, a sudden chill making him shiver.

"C'mon, there isn't anyone else here, you can tell me, can't you?" Kurt coaxed, planting tiny kisses at the corner of Blaine's mouth while he rubbed his shoulders.

Blaine put his head down and said a word into his chest. He hadn't wanted this discussion because it could go so wrong, but this seemed aimed at his inexperience. That was understandable, but it had been less than a year that they had been together and some words upset or confused each of them.

Kurt moved closer, kissing the place on Blaine's neck that made him shiver. Licking along the tendon there, humming in satisfaction and Blaine's breath got a little deeper. Kurt's breath ghosted over the wet spot, and Blaine got cold chills, pulling Kurt closer in reflex.

"That feels nice, Kurt," Blaine whispered and a heated flush went through Kurt's veins.

"Tell me, what did you say earlier when I asked what surprised you the most? Does it feel nice, too?" Kurt asked again, laying his head on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine waited so long to answer Kurt though he wasn't going to at all.

"It's something I never thought I'd do, much less let anyone do to me. I knew a lot about gay sex from the internet and the pamphlets Dad gave us, but mostly it says the names and descriptions, not how it _feels_. So, this thing...when we did it, when you did it to me it was so, so amazing. Maybe it was because I thought it was beyond my limits or something? It was something I never thought I could ask for, even. And when I did it to you, you made the most incredible noises, Kurt. Just listening to you, I couldn't stop," Blaine said and Kurt realized what it was.

He kissed Blaine once more, then started to drag his hands down his body, massaging and rubbing, stroking his way all over the warm skin. Kissing followed as his hands and fingers moved in a quiet seduction. Blaine was humming with anticipation, but calmed down as Kurt kept a steady pace just touching him. Kurt's lips were warm and wet, and his tongue came out to lick in secret places as the touching continued. Blaine moved to follow, but Kurt placed a hand on his chest and pushed him down gently, letting him know this was for him to enjoy right now.

Kurt turned his lover over gently as he touched his ribs, firmly so as not to tickle him, then starting at the nape of his neck he tenderly kissed his way down Blaine's back.

Blaine had never really thought of his back being an erogenous zone, but now it seemed to be and he stretched like a cat under Kurt's loving hands. Moving down, Kurt's hands started to massage Blaine's butt cheeks, the rounded muscles were like magnets and brought him back again and again to touch, to kiss, to massage. Kurt got a pillow and slipped it under Blaine's hips and began kissing his way to the soft skin on Blaine's inner thighs, always touching, always rubbing or kissing, never losing contact with his lover's skin.

"This is what you meant, isn't it, baby?" Kurt barely whispered as his fingers found their way between the round cheeks, running down the crevice while Kurt kissed the end of his spine and then let his tongue find the dimples in his back.

"Right here, baby? Does it feel good right here?" Kurt gently pressed the cheeks apart and ran his warm tongue down the crevice to pause at the dark pink puckered rim and Blaine sighed, relaxing as he let the tense muscles he was holding so tightly loose.

"Yes...," Blaine said as Kurt lapped slowly, then let his tongue go down to lick around Blaine's balls, spreading his legs apart a little more and took one into his mouth ever so gently, then the other and back to his entrance and licked softly until he could push in just a little. Blaine was sighing, his muscles quivering just slightly as he moaned, his breath quickening. Kurt's fingers were wet, coated in the saliva he was dripping on Blaine's skin and with that for lubrication, he entered the warmth of Blaine's body. With his first finger he gently stroked as he never stopped licking with his warm, wet tongue. He was moaning along with Blaine, knowing what this felt like, how erotic it was. Blaine's trembling was increasing and he was moaning louder now.

"Kurt, Kurt...oh, that feels so good. You know how good it is, I've done this to you and you loved it, didn't you? Ah...there...yes, yes..." he rambled, hardly knowing what he was saying as his head got light and he was lost in the unbelievable feeling. Kurt didn't stop. He pulled his finger out only to replace it with a second finger, still slow and gentle strokes and his tongue caressing Blaine's skin. His velvety smooth inner body was giving him so much pleasure,

Blaine began rocking his hips slowly into the pillow with gentle movements as he absorbed all the pleasurable feelings Kurt was giving him. Kurt changed the angle of his strokes, moving his fingers a little more forward, a little deeper and pushing his tongue into the warmth next to his fingers.

Blaine was moving with more purpose now, the soft and slow movements building in him as he reveled in the things he was feeling. Kurt's fingers were just touching the place inside that was the key to unlocking Blaine's orgasm. He knew he'd found just the right place because Blaine was moving a little faster, and his voice was a deeper growl now. His head was lying on a pillow with his eyes closed, his brow furrowed as he concentrated, his fists clenched in the blanket until his knuckles were almost white.

Kurt was humming, knowing the vibrations would be felt deep in Blaine's body as the pressure was building. He was stroking the place he could barely feel through the muscles inside, but knew it was the right place because Blaine pushed and clenched along with him. Kurt moved his mouth back for a moment, whispering to Blaine, "It's okay, you can come now. I'm doing this for you, Blaine, take your pleasure now, baby..now..."

He placed his tongue back on the rim and continued the steady pulsing of his fingers as he licked his warm tongue in long swathes down the cleft until he could feel Blaine tensing his muscles and increase the rocking of his hips. He could feel it as Blaine shot his semen into the pillow, a deep growl coming from his throat and his hands clenching into tight fists.

"Kurt...Kurt!" he called, and it sounded like a prayer: his mind lost in the extreme pleasure of his climax. Kurt gently removed his fingers, wiping the saliva from his lips with a forearm and laying his cheek down on Blaine's butt cheek to rest for a moment.

They lay like that for a few moments until Blaine moved his hip to turn on his side. Kurt grabbed a small towel from the night table and blotted the pillow, wiping his lover clean before setting the pillow on the floor and crawling up the bed to lie beside Blaine who pulled him close, spooning Kurt and wrapping his arms around him.

Blaine was too nervous to say anything, the act embarrassing him still. Kurt could feel it in his tense arm muscles and spoke quietly.

"Baby, there is nothing wrong with enjoying your body. You of all people know that. I wanted to give you that pleasure to show you there is nothing wrong in asking for what you know feels good to you. Blaine, I love your body. All of your body. To think that you trust me enough to give you pleasure like that means everything to me and I hope we will always have that between us – to be so close that we can trust the other with our deepest wants and needs," Kurt said, kissing Blaine's fingers as he held his hand intertwined with his own.

"I love you, Kurt. I don't know how you always know what to say to me to make the biggest fears in my life just melt away. You understand me, even when I don't understand myself. Thank you, Kurt, my love, my heart," Blaine said, kissing the top of Kurt's head.

They lay there for a while, just a comfortable silence as they felt each other and knew what the other was thinking. Blaine turned Kurt so they were facing and kissed his mouth.

"Tell me what you want, Kurt. It's a night for granting wishes I think. Tell me your wish and I will do my best to grant it," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear. Kurt smiled.

"I want you to make love to me, Blaine. I know you hold back because of the tear I got the first time, and I want you to leave that anxiety behind you tonight and make love to me," Kurt whispered. Blaine closed his eyes. Kurt was right. He made himself go gently, hold back because he was afraid of tearing Kurt again in spite of all the doctor's assurances that it was a mere accident and probably wouldn't happen again. Blaine was determined to grant Kurt's wish tonight, though, so he gathered his courage and leaned over to get the lubricant out of the drawer.

"Just lie down and I will give you a massage like you gave me, baby," Blaine said, pushing Kurt to lay in the mattress on his back. Blaine started with kissing, deepening it as he went, his tongue in Kurt's mouth as they danced their tongues together. He ended the kiss and moved to give gentle nibbles across Kurt's cheek and down his jaw to the tender places on his neck that made Kurt squeak. Blaine's smile got bigger each time Kurt made another sound and he was almost laughing by the time he got to Kurt's chest. Licking the salty skin down the center of his rib cage, stopping to kiss his nipple. Kurt has very sensitive nipples and Blaine had reason to know this, so he paid a lot of attention to them. Kurt pushed his pectoral muscles forward so more skin was placed in Blaine's mouth as he moaned louder. Kurt was very loud when he wanted to be and Blaine loved it.

Moving down, he engulfed Kurt's cock and worked him up and down, first sucking gently on the tip and pushing his lips over the length. It was so good, listening to Kurt as he was moved to almost scream Blaine's name in a moment of passion. Blaine pulled back, placing a kiss on the head of his cock as he stopped, a sad look in Kurt's eye but Blaine knew there would be more to come. _Come_ being the operative word here.

By this time he had gotten closer to Kurt, bringing his leg up and propped it on Blaine's shoulder. With the new found access to Kurt's most intimate parts, Blaine placed his gel-covered fingers in the place he had just found such joy. He hoped he was as gentle as Kurt had been with him as he inserted his fingers to begin the stretching process. Kurt loved this part, knowing the anticipation was building and trying to keep pace as Blaine shared himself with Kurt.

At last Kurt seemed ready, Blaine had taken his time to do it right, making sure before he coated his fingers and applied some of the lube to his cock.

"Are you ready? Will this be the best position, or would you rather we did another position? Blaine gave him the option.

"I want to see you, Blaine. Let's do it this way so I can see your beautiful face," Kurt purred. Blaine made sure Kurt's leg was comfortable resting on his shoulder and pressed in. Kurt jumped, the sensation so amazing after the anticipation all evening. Blaine ran a calming hand down Kurt's thigh to let him breathe for a minute, then pressed further in until little by little Blaine was in up to the hilt. He gave Kurt a triumphant smile and pulled back, almost all the way and plunged slowly back in, savoring the pull and drag over the sensitive skin.

Kurt was almost over stimulated after the way he had been giving Blaine his pleasure and it didn't leave his mind – not the things he had talked about or the feelings he had felt already this evening. He knew it wasn't always necessary to last a long time, and that was good because he wasn't going to, not at all.

The hot and excited feeling he got every time he made love with his soon-to-be husband was gathering in his muscles, and Blaine's final thrust might have been the last one if Kurt hadn't suddenly found the strength within himself to wait. He pulled Blaine's face as close as he could get it, then kissed him so hard and suddenly it was there, with hardly a minute until he was spouting like a whale. Kurt shouted Blaine's name, pressing close to feel every inch inside his body, to know without a doubt he was as close as humanly possible to his lover, to be as close as he could to becoming one being.

"Blaine, oh my god...Blaine," Kurt called, his tears falling down his cheeks as he felt all of Blaine's love just explode inside his heart. Blaine was all he ever wanted or needed and one glance at those golden hazel eyes and he knew for a fact that Blaine was feeling the same thing. Kurt finally closed his eyes and collapsed into Blaine's waiting arms, overcome with the pure joy of having the love of his life holding him – not just in his arms, but in his heart.

Long afterwards the two boys lay in bed together, just touching along their sides, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. They had shared the silence, so comfortable with just being in the same place at the same time, knowing each other's hearts and minds. Knowing their lives would be forever entwined no matter what bumps there might be in the road.

"I love you, Kurt, and I always will," Blaine whispered to Kurt, holding his hand as they dozed off, tangled together as they so often did. "I need to sleep, at least for a short amount of time."

"I love you, too, Blaine. Making love is exhausting, but I don't think I can ever stop. Not that I would ever want to. I'm yours forever."

"And I'm yours."


	35. Chapter 35 - The Big Day

Blaine had taken his turn driving and now it was Finn's turn as they crossed the Oregon border into Washington. The summer was hot, but the breeze coming off the coast was fresh and cool so all the windows were down. Finn sat in the passenger seat, eyes on the lookout for the exit to Seattle. They would be spending part of the day there, going to the aquarium and the glass museum, then on to Kent where Burt and Carole lived now.

Burt had been really surprised that Kurt had opted for a small wedding. He had been planning a big, lavish affair since he was a small boy – most of the plans complete with a symphony orchestra playing in the background and enough pomp and circumstance to please the Queen of England.

Kurt had changed when he spent time in the Oregon logging camp. He still enjoyed cooking exotic food and wearing nice clothes, but the pretense of all the designer labels and posh things had gone. Burt had been baffled by it until Carole explained to him that all of the over-the-top fashion and posturing was Kurt's way of hiding from the people he was afraid wouldn't accept him. If they were talking about the corset-backed vest he wore with a mink collared shirt and skin-tight jeans, they weren't talking about how Kurt didn't fit in with the crowd. It was a coping mechanism. Having it explained to him, Burt did see the truth in that and was ashamed that he hadn't seen it himself. Kurt must have hurt so badly for so long, and Burt was oblivious to it. As he thought about it over the next year, he remembered so many times when Kurt was sad or hurt and covered it over so his dad didn't worry.

"Oh, Burt, all kids do that. And we as parents are often so close to them, we don't see the forest for the trees. We don't see the hurt because maybe we don't want to. Kurt did what he needed to do to survive. Being with Blaine is what changed him. There was nothing to hide behind in the lumber camp, so he let Blaine see him as he truly is and that is what Blaine fell in love with. I can't think of a better love story, can you?" she asked and Burt agreed with her.

Now all of the family was coming for the wedding. They were having it in Burt's backyard and inviting a few friends from college, a few from Ohio. The boys were all coming today and the friends in the next few days. The wedding would be on Saturday.

Just before supper time Burt heard the sound of a familiar engine as Kurt drove the SUV into his driveway. The dog started barking and Burt told it to hush, then walked out on the front porch to see his boys. Kurt was the first one out of the car, running to throw himself into his father's arms.

"Oh, Dad, it's so good to see you! I have missed you so much," he said softly into his father's neck as he hugged him close. It was hard to even let go, but he finally did, only to turn and take Carole in his arms since Finn had let her go. Burt hugged Blaine next, telling how happy he was to have him part of the family 'officially', but that he'd been part of the family since the first day.

All of the greetings done, they took their luggage into the bedrooms. A large dog, some sort of mixture between a hound and a bird dog with maybe a bit of shepherd walked at Burt's heel. When everyone settled down to the table to eat, the dog laid down at Burt's feet, his head on the man's shoes.

"So I see I've been replaced in your heart, Dad. What's you newest love's name?" Kurt teased, offering the mutt a small piece of his cheese. It was a friendly looking dog, kind of a golden brown with white feet and a blaze down its face. Its ears were long and silky, his nose a shade of reddish brown and big chocolate brown eyes.

"Don't feed the dog at the table, Kurt. You know better. This is Chevy," Burt said, looking a bit embarrassed.

"He just showed up one day at the shop and followed Burt around all day. We put an ad in the paper, called the shelters, put up a few flyers, but nobody ever stepped forward to claim him. He's been here for a couple of months, goes to work with your dad every day and sits around the shop," Carole told them. Burt smiled a sheepish grin.

"He's a great looking dog, Burt," Puck said, slipping him a little of the hamburger off of his plate.

"Don't feed the dog at the table, Puck," Burt warned.

"Can he play fetch and stuff?" Finn wanted to know.

"Yeah, he does. Loves to walk with me or catch a tennis ball. He's a great companion," Burt acknowledged.

"People who own dogs or cats live longer I've read," Kurt added, smiling at the dog as Finn gave him a piece of cheese from his burger.

Burt glared at Finn and his step-son looked the other way, avoiding Burt's frown.

They talked about business at the shop, about Carole's job at the hospital, about the plans for the wedding. It was getting late and when the boys got up to clear the table, Burt tried to give Chevy a little piece of his own leftover chicken burger. Four voices all said at once," Don't feed the dog at the table!" before breaking up in laughter.

The next few days were full of reunions with old friends: Mercedes and Rachel came from New York where they were going to college, Puck's grandmother came, Artie and Tina came from Lima, and some of their college friends: Nick and Jeff and a few others. On the day before the wedding Cooper and August came with Mr. Warner, Lenore, Cookie, Shannon, and Pete. It was like a party all day long.

The next day Kurt was at his father's house, his girls helping him get dressed in his tuxedo. Everyone was already in their finest, the festive atmosphere making all of the boy's friends eager to see the Kurt and Blaine get married.

Blaine was at the hotel with his brother and the men from the lumber camp. Lenore helped him get ready, pinning his pink rose on the lapel of the tux. She reached over and kissed his cheek.

"I'm so happy for you, Blaine. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I think you found the man that can give it to you."

Blaine almost cried. It was the sweetest thing anyone had said to him all day, and he was so happy it came from Lenore of all people. He hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you," was all he could say.

The wedding was beautiful. In spite of the tuxedos, it was not very formal and the atmosphere was more like a party than a solemn ceremony. The Justice of the Peace had come, read out the vows as Blaine and Kurt had written them, gave the boys a very warm smile and pronounced them husbands. Everyone cheered and threw confetti. Since it was being held at the Hummel house, there was no need of going to a different place to have the reception and soon all the guests were dancing and singing. Blaine bowed to Kurt and they did the first dance, then Kurt with his Dad and Blaine with Cooper. After that, it seemed as if everyone was dancing and passing the two grooms from hand to hand, giving them a twirl around the dance floor and a kiss or hug to send them on their way. Neither Blaine not Kurt had time to even sit for a few hours, always being called to another table for congratulations and best wishes. The gift table was full and starting to sway, the guests were drinking and eating and having fun.

A lull in the music brought Kurt to Blaine's side as they grinned at each other. "Did you save a dance for me?" Blaine asked, teasing Kurt because he had been dancing all evening.

"Just the horizontal one at the end of the evening, my dear," Kurt quipped back.

"Do you think we can sneak out the back door and get away before anyone notices?" Blaine whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

"We can try..." Kurt grinned.

"I'll meet you out front in the Navigator in five minutes," Blaine whispered. Kurt nodded.

And that's how the two boys ended up in the back seat of the SUV in a deserted parking lot, making out like high school kids when they were supposed to be at the wedding reception cutting cake and feeding it to each other.

"Do you think anyone will be upset?" Blaine asked.

"No, they all know us. I'd say it was expected behavior, wouldn't you?" he said, his eyes sparkling as he looked at his husband.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'd rather be here alone with you than eating that cake. I bet they'll save us each a piece, don't you?" Blaine smiled.

"Well, even if we miss the cake, we have this!" Kurt rummaged in the front seat for a minute, Blaine ogling his ass as he leaned over the seat to reach his prize. "I smuggled this out of the party!"

Kurt held a large bottle and two glasses. Blaine opened it and poured them each a small glass. Clinking the flutes together, they both said, "I love you!" in an unrehearsed speech and drank it down.

Blaine refilled the glasses and they made several more toasts to each other, the words becoming more intimate as each glass was downed. They ended up kissing again, setting the glasses aside to concentrate on each other. It was a good thing the bottle only contained sparkling cider or they might not have made it to the hotel room.

The next day when they finally woke up after the long night of loving, they trekked back to the Hummel house to collect their luggage and have Burt drive them to the airport. Walking in they were greeted with teasing remarks about their escape from the reception which they answered with good natured fun.

They ate lunch with the family and a few friends that were still there, telling them about the honeymoon plans. Kurt checked once again that they had travelers checks and credit cards, and everything they might need. Since Puerto Rico is American soil, they did not need a passport to go there. It seemed to take forever, but finally they were on their way.

Burt and Cooper drove them to the airport and hand-in-hand Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson walked down the concourse to their waiting plane. They turned at the end, waving to their family. Turning back to enter the final concourse, Kurt turned to Blaine and said, "Puerto Rico, here we come!"

Blaine smiled at his husband and said, "I hope they're ready for us."

The plane dipped one wing a bit, turning into the final approach to the airport. Kurt felt a little sick to his stomach for a moment, then he was okay again. He would probably never really get used to flying, and this was so much smoother than the helicopter.

Getting off the plane, the boys looked at each other, smiling and so happy. They had thought long and hard about where to have their honeymoon. Both wanted it to be away from crowds or big cities and when Jeff had suggested Puerto Rico, it sounded like paradise. Moonlit beaches, friendly people, great food...everything they wanted in a secluded place for a week.

There was a friendly looking man waiting for them, holding a card that said "Hummel-Anderson" in his hands. Blaine led Kurt over to say hello.

"Welcome to Puerto Rico!" the man greeted them, smiling.

"Thank you. I'm Blaine and this is my husband, Kurt."

"Glad to meet you. My name is Jose Rivera and I will be your tour guide. We will start with getting you to your hotel in Dorado. Please follow me," Jose said. He picked up two of the suitcases the boys carried and walked towards his car, the boys following with the rest. The ride was beautiful, the scenery of Puerto Rico amazing, and the tour guide was funny and friendly.

They stopped for lunch at a small restaurant outside of Dorado.

"I want to taste something that is unique to Puerto Rico," said Kurt, smiling at the guide.

"Then you will want to order the Red Beans with Rice and Pork. It might sound pedestrian, but believe me it is the flavor of my childhood and you will love it. The other dish is Mofongo with Meat," Jose informed them.

"What is that? It sounds like some kind of exotic mushroom?" Blaine asked and got a laugh from their host.

"No, there are no mushrooms involved. Mofongo is mashed plantains mixed with broth, garlic, olive oil, and a kind of bacon. It is served with shrimp, chicken, pork, fish, beef...any type of meat. I recommend the shrimp here," Jose advised.

"I'll order the rice and beans, you order the mofongo and we'll split, Okay, Kurt?" Blaine asked with a bright smile.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" Blaine enthused, tasting the beans and rice dish.

"So is this. Wow, I could get used to this food in a hurry," Kurt said as they exchanged plates to try each other's lunch. Jose laughed as the boys ate their lunch, giggling and praising the food.

"Now, we will go to your hotel. Tomorrow morning I will come and get you and take you to our first place to visit. It is called El Morro and it is not far from here. Have a good sleep, there will be a lot of walking tomorrow," he told them and stopped the car in front of the hotel.

Blaine jumped out, eager to get to their room. The bellhop came to meet their car and placed the suitcases on the trolley.

"I will call you in the morning to let you know when I arrive. Have a good sleep," he smiled at the two men and then left.

"Wow, Blaine...this is a beautiful place. I think we made the right choice in picking Puerto Rico to have our honeymoon. We'll have to thank Jeff for suggesting it," Kurt said, sitting on the small loveseat and taking off his shoes.

"I agree. We have only seen a small bit of the island and I'm already in love. Where are we going tomorrow?" Blaine asked, searching his pockets for the printed itinerary. Finding it, he unfolded it and looked at the list.

"Oh, tomorrow we're going back to San Juan and do some sightseeing. There is a place called 'El Morro' where we are taking a tour then to the market. We are having supper with Jose and his family after shopping at the fresh air market to buy the ingredients. That sounds like a lot of fun," Blaine said, scanning down through the list. "You're not afraid of bats, are you?"

"Bats? Why would you ask that, Blaine Anderson? Am I going to regret letting you arrange this trip?" Kurt scowled at his husband.

"Ahh...I have to go take a shower," Blaine said, stuffing the itinerary back in his pocket and sprinting for the bathroom. He skinned in just in time to shut the door in Kurt's face. Kurt banged on the door but Blaine turned on the water and called out, "I can't hear you, honey. I'll be out when my shower is over..."

Kurt banged one more time on the door and gave up. _Well, if there are bats, then I will just close my eyes and think of something else on that day. Or maybe fake a headache? _Kurt thought. He went to the suitcase and got out their pajamas and set them on the bed. Then found the bottle of lubricant and set it in the drawer of the bedside table. He sat down and thought for a few moments, then got the little bottle of astroglide back out of the drawer and took off his clothes. It was his honeymoon, after all. He lay back on the bed and set to work.

Five minutes later, he had found a paperclip and was fiddling with the lock on the bathroom door. There! He heard the click of the lock opening and turned the knob. Blaine was standing in the shower, soaping his chest and Kurt smiled. He went quietly to the shower and slipped past the curtain, coming up behind Blaine and snaking his arms around his husband. Blaine jumped at the touch, but turned quickly to put his own arms around Kurt.

"Oh, so you're a cat burgler now, are you?"

"Yes, and I've come to steal your heart," Kurt played along. He was running his hands down Blaine's back, slick under the warm water. He leaned forward, kissing Blaine's jaw and loving the little bit of razor stubble that was rough against his cheek. He licked down Blaine's neck and kissed him at the base of his throat, nibbling along the clavicle on the left side.

"Mmmmmm, that feels nice, Kurt," Blaine purred, his hands gripping a little more firmly on Kurt's buttocks. Kurt kissed down Blaine's chest, swirling his tongue over the sternum and ribs, stopping to pay attention to the nipples, stroking with his fingers.

"Kurt, oh, don't stop, baby...that feels so good," Blaine's voice was getting deeper, like honey and whiskey, "Mmmmmm."

Kurt had no intention of stopping. He was on his knees and stroking up Blaine's thighs. Once he reached the top, he put out his tongue and started licking the base of his husband's cock. Blaine put his fingers in Kurt's hair and carded through the thick locks when disaster struck.

"Yeouch!" Kurt yelled and slid sideways to the bottom of the tub, holding his knee.

"Kurt! Oh, your poor knee. I forgot all about it. You should not be on your knees, baby," Blaine exclaimed, dropping to his knees to see the damage.

"I'm okay I think, there was a shooting pain and I had to get off the knee. Oh, I thought it was healed, damn it," Kurt cursed, holding his hands over the sore knee.

"Here, let's get you sitting so I can look at this," Blaine said, shutting off the water and adjusting Kurt so he was sitting in the tub. Blaine ran his fingers over the damaged knee, feeling for anything broken or out of place.

"I think it's going to be okay, Blaine. It hardly hurts any more. I think I should just stay off of it and it'll be fine," Kurt said, frustrated that his leg was once more giving him problems. "Here, can you help me get up?"

"Sure, let me get out and then I can help," Blaine stepped out of the tub and leaned over to lift Kurt. Kurt used his other leg and stood up. He gingerly put his foot on the outside of the tub and shifted some weight to the offending leg. It held. Kurt heaved a great sigh of relief.

"It was just a false alarm. I know I shouldn't put my weight on it when I'm kneeling. I think it's fine," Kurt said, letting go of Blaine's arm and putting all of his weight on the leg. "See, good as new. Now, let's get back to our shower," Kurt smiled at Blaine and reached for the tap.

Back in the shower, they were more careful and waited for the end of the shower to attempt anything else. Of course, they didn't stop kissing and caressing as they washed each other under the shower spray, their hands slick and their mouths busy. They rinsed off and Blaine helped Kurt get out of the shower to dried off.

Lying in bed, Blaine looked at Kurt, trying to decide if he was telling the whole truth about his knee being fine. They had a lot of walking to do the next day and Blaine was thinking of renting a wheelchair. Kurt must have read his mind because he rolled towards his husband and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Blaine, I don't want you to worry. My leg is fine. I just can't put pressure on the kneecap like that. I didn't damage it any worse, it truthfully does not hurt at all. 'Kay?"

"Okay. I was thinking about all the walking..." Blaine said, his brow furrowed with worry lines.

"I will sit down when I need to. I will be fine, I promise. Now, quit treating me like an invalid and make love to me, okay?" Kurt wiggled his eyebrows in an attempt to make Blaine laugh. It worked.

"Oh, Kurt," Blaine sighed, "Okay, I won't even think about it any more. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. I have something else on my mind anyway..." he grinned at Kurt, reaching over to tug his husband closer. Kurt snuggled into Blaine's side.

Blaine ran his hand down Kurt's back to comfort him and let him know everything between them was good. He reached the hem of Kurt's pajama shirt and slid his hand underneath, skimming across his lower back with just the tips of his fingers. Kurt sighed and just let himself lean into Blaine. Now using his whole hand, palm flat of Kurt's back, he went back up his spine slowly, then down again with increased pressure as Kurt practically purred.

Pulling the pajama shirt up, Blaine began to kiss along Kurt's spine then along his ribs. He touched his skin slowly, using lips and tongue in a gentle way as Kurt forgot everything but his love for Blaine. It was calming and the worry about Kurt's knee and the disagreement went away and was replaced by the memories of making love in the wilds of the backwoods of Oregon, the two of them alone in the world they had created. Blaine took the pajama shirt all the way off, then removed his own so they could feel their skin touching. He slid his arms around Kurt's waist, turning him so they were face to face and gave his chest the same slow, gentle caresses with lips, tongue and fingertips until Kurt felt loved and cherished once again. It was Kurt accepting everything from Blaine, sharing everything with him. It was Blaine telling Kurt with strokes and soothing touch that it was just them, that nothing else mattered in that moment.

"Beautiful," Blaine whispered into Kurt's skin, knowing that described everything about his husband. Kurt reached for Blaine's hips and slid his pajama pants off, then removed his own and Blaine kissed his neck, sucking gently on the tender skin but not leaving bruises to mar that unblemished alabaster.

Kurt moved, slowly as if he were dancing and then Blaine was under him, his back on the pristine sheets and his head comfortable in the pillows. Kurt kissed his eyebrow, just a peck but it felt so intimate to Blaine as he closed his eyes only to have Kurt kiss each eyelid on his exploration of Blaine's face. He kissed the tip of his nose and felt Blaine's tummy tense up as he tried to suppress a giggle. Kisses followed kisses as Kurt paid attention to Blaine's temple and cheeks, then down to nibble along the slightly rough skin of his jaw that needed a shave. He saved the best for last as his soft lips grazed along Blaine's mouth. It started as just touching, but neither one was able to keep it so chaste when all of that warm skin was just waiting and Blaine's lips parted to let Kurt in. Blaine thought with the only tiny part of his brain still capable of coherent thought that Kurt tasted sweet and fresh and his tongue was soft and warm. Blaine wondered how it was always like this, never stale or unpleasant as if Kurt was immune to things like that.

Kurt's eyes locked with Blaine's and his silent_ 'I love you's' _made Blaine's eyes ache with pressure and burn with the beginning of tears before he broke the stare by blinking and took Kurt's mouth once more.

Blaine took Kurt's arm and followed it to his wrist, bringing it to his mouth and kissing the inside where the blood ran fast, feeling the warmth of it. Blaine's lips felt the pulsing of his heart pushing the blood along and Blaine just let his sensitive lips feel until Kurt pulled his wrist back, cupping Blaine's jaw and kissing him once again to help him focus.

Kurt kissed down to Blaine's neck once again, licking his collarbone before just pushing his nose as close to the juncture of neck and shoulder. It was a place he found comfort, a place of respite and safety from the world that had so often been cruel and uncaring to Kurt, it was a place he knew he would find arms to hold him, and a heart that welcomed him each and every time he needed it.

Blaine shifted his weight, leaning heavily on his side as he put his arms around Kurt, sensing that he was feeling vulnerable just now and needed reassurance. It was a miracle to Blaine that they could switch roles so easily – that he could be the protector one minute, holding Kurt like this and defying the demons to take Kurt from him. But in the blink of an eye, he could be the one searching and finding comfort from Kurt, who would defend him from all the evil and pain this world could dish out. He kissed the top of Kurt's head, as a mother would a new baby, and he knew this was the person he was meant to love, this man was the one he was meant to spend the rest of his life with, this was the love of his life. As if he understood the same thing Blaine had just realized, Kurt's arms tugged his lover, his husband, his soulmate closer and he placed his hand over Blaine's chest as if to tell him that this is what he lived for, this was home to him – Blaine's heart.

Their bodies were drawn to each other, Blaine going through the motions of making Kurt ready, Kurt opening himself up to Blaine as they moved together. No words were needed, their muscle memory allowing them to prepare without conscious thought, never letting their bodies part as they touched some part, some piece of skin remained in contact without Kurt or Blaine giving it a thought.

"Blaine..." Kurt squeezed his eyes shut as he swallowed thickly and tried to lick his kiss-swollen lips. What had started as fast and furious lust was slowed down now, tenderly as Blaine moved gently inside Kurt and he kept the rhythm as if it were their heartbeats that led the pace. This was not about orgasms or lust, this was about being together, about touching and caring and understanding, about the foundation of a life and a love that they would share until the end of time. It was wonderful and delicious, and they wanted it to last for a thousand years.

Afterwards, they fell asleep tangled together as they so often did, comforted knowing this was real, this would last.

"I love you, Kurt," Blaine said, holding him close.

"I love you, too, Blaine," Kurt said, burying his nose in his soft, silky curls.


	36. Chapter 36 - Welcome to Paradise

Kurt and Blaine were standing in front of the hotel the next morning waiting for Jose.

"Hey, beautiful, how was your first night in paradise?" Blaine whispered to Kurt. Kurt smiled and kissed Blaine's cheek.

"Wonderful," he answered, putting an arm around Blaine.

Jose drove up to the curb, quickly getting out and opening the back door for Kurt and Blaine.

"We will be visiting the Castillo San Felipe del Morro today on the Bay of San Juan. It is a castle named for Philip II of Spain, built in 1539."

"Oh, I read about this, Kurt. I'm excited to go – they have these guard towers called _garitas_. Do you have the camera?" Blaine asked.

"Of course. I brought the camera – it takes better pictures than my cell phone," Kurt said.

"I hope you don't mind a personal observation? It is a long walk to the entrance of the castillo, Mr. Kurt, and I notice you are limping. Are you sure you can walk far on your leg?" Jose asked, his face full of concern.

"I have my brace, so it should be fine. Thank you, though, for thinking of my comfort," Kurt said, a smile appearing on his lips. Jeff had recommended this man to be their tour guide and so far he had been like visiting a friend. Jeff's family had known the Rivera family for decades, ever since Jose had been a student at the university where Jeff's father taught. Jose still loved the Sterling family like his own and was more than happy to host Jeff's friends for their honeymoon.

Standing at the entrance of El Morro, Kurt's jaw dropped. It was so beautiful, four stories above the sea with a light on the top.

"Why does the lighthouse look so different from the rest of the castle?" Blaine asked.

"It wasn't part of the original building. It was built by the U.S. Military in 1908 after they destroyed the original light in 1898. Shall we go inside?" Jose directed.

They toured the castle, marveling at the amazing structures still there four hundred years after it was built.

After the tour, Kurt and Blaine were hungry, so Jose suggested they get a small meal from street vendors as they did a short walking tour of the city of San Juan. They ate several kinds of meat, grilled on braziers at street-side kiosks. They followed this with fresh fruit served on long sticks.

"For the afternoon, we can visit _La Plaza de Mercado de Río Piedras _where my wife and eldest daughter will meet us. My family has planned a dinner for you tonight at our home and you may stay for the night so we can get an early start to El Yunquein the morning, if this meets with your approval?" Jose asked, his sparkling eyes showing his happiness.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Blaine exclaimed, hooking his arm through Kurt's as they hurried to keep up.

Jose found a parking spot not too far from the market and the three of them got out of the car to walk the several blocks to the open-air market. Coming around the building that blocked their view of the market, Kurt let out a shout of joy as the odors came from the market. Fresh fruit and flowers were light on the breeze accompanied by the sight and smells of various meats being grilled on small braziers in some of the stalls. It was bright and colorful and so many things were on display by the various vendors as they strolled down the first row of stalls.

Coming down the row were two lovely women, holding hands and smiling at people who called out to them. They stopped I front of Jose, the woman pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek and the girl throwing her arms around him.

"Papa!" she said, smiling into his eyes.

"Kurt, Blaine, I would introduce you to my wife, Maria, and my eldest daughter, Sophia Michelle," Jose said, his pride in his beautiful family shining in his eyes. "Maria, Sophia, these men are the friends of Jeff Sterling we are hosting this week. Please welcome Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson."

They all shook hands and Sophia bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. Her father had asked her to accompany the honeymooners to the market and help them select some food for supper that night.

"Sophia will be your guide today. Maria and I will meet you in an hour at the other side of the market," Jose grinned. He knew the boys would have a good time because Sophia was so friendly and knew all about how to navigate the market.

"It is so good to meet you, Sophia," Kurt said, a smile on his face. She looked to be about 16 or 17 with long glossy hair pulled off her face and falling in a cascade down her back. Her large brown eyes were framed by long, thick eyelashes and she had classic Cupid's Bow lips that were always smiling. She was more than pretty, she was beautiful by anyone's standards and it made both boys feel trusted that her father allowed her to guide them through the market.

"Good to meet you also, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," she said politely.

"Oh, no...please call us Kurt and Blaine," Blaine hurried to ask her. Calling them by their first names was so much more friendly.

They walked down the aisles and Sophia questioned them about what they liked to eat. She was pleasantly surprised to find they loved the dishes that were popular in Puerto Rico instead of McDonalds or Burger King.

"Your father took us to a restaurant last night that served a delicious dish...I think it was called Mogono? No, that's not it...Maffano?" Blaine asked, not sure of the pronunciation of the dish. Sophia giggled.

"I think you mean Mofongo?" she asked.

"Yes, that's it. I've never tasted it back home and it was great. Can you teach me how to cook it?" Blaine asked.

"Of course. We need to find plantains and garlic. It requires chicharrones, but we can make those at home. Mofongo can be served just as it is or we can serve it with a stuffing: pork, beef, chicken, shrimp?" Sophia asked.

"Oh, shrimp sounds good!" Kurt said, smiling at Sophia.

"We can get fresh shrimp here in the market. Then, how about a fruit salad?" she asked.

"That sounds lovely," Kurt answered just as Blaine was about to say the same thing.

They strolled around the market, buying all the ingredients for supper that night, stopping at a cart to enjoy piraguas. These were similar to what Kurt had as a child but he called them 'snow cones': shaved ice in a paper cone with syrup poured over the top in flavors like coconut, pineapple, tamarind, guava or raspberry.

Kurt asked the vendor to mix the pineapple and coconut on his. Sophia bumped Blaine's shoulder, "Get the tamarind, you'll love it." Sophia got raspberry.

As they walked along the stalls, the ice treat was just the right thing because it was very hot. Blaine tasted his tamarind piragua and a smile came across his face.

"This is wonderful! Kurt, try this flavor!" Blaine encouraged and Kurt took a taste and he smiled, too.

"I should have taken your advice, Sophia, that is good. Here, Blaine, try my pina colada," Kurt offered. They agreed that both were wonderful and then turned to laugh with Sophia because the raspberry had turned her lips bright pink.

"It always does that, but it's my favorite," she grinned.

As they wandered among all the vendors with brightly colored clothes and food, Blaine spotted a man playing an instrument. It was made from a gourd and had grooves carved on one side.

"Let's go see that," he encouraged Kurt and Sophia.

They listened as the man played with some other men joining in with a small drum and a guitar. When they were done, Blaine asked about the unusual instrument.

"This is a Guiro, a traditional instrument from here in Puerto Rico. Do you like the sound?" the man asked.

"Very much. Is there a place here in the market to buy one?" Kurt asked, seeing Blaine's face light up.

"Yes, down this aisle, at the end. My sister sells many kinds of instruments, I'm sure she can help you," the man smiled and then went back to playing music with his friends.

A visit to the stall of the man's sister was fun as they played with all the instruments. Kurt bought Blaine a Guiro as a wedding present and he played it as they walked along. They found more things to take home to their friends: a set of teak wood dominoes among them. Dominoes were very popular and the boys saw many people sitting at domino tables playing the game in the shade under trees at the edge of the market.

"Dad's gonna love these," Kurt grinned, picturing his father playing like he did when Kurt was small.

They finally met Jose and Maria sitting on a bench at the other end of the market. Kurt and Blaine were having a great time and they had bags of things they had purchased at the market to carry back to the car. Jose kidded them about taking half the island home with them, but it was done with gentle teasing and everyone was laughing as they drove to Jose's home.

Getting out of the car, they were met by the rest of Jose's family.

"Blaine, Kurt, this is my younger daughter, Carmella, and my son, Romero," Jose introduced them.

The boys were soon in the kitchen with Sophia and Maria as they taught the boys how to prepare the mofongo.

"You need to peel the plantains first. Here, Blaine, take the plantains and we'll set them in a pan of hot water for two minutes, that makes them easier to peel," Sophia instructed. In the mean time, Maria and Kurt were preparing the fruit salad on the other side of the kitchen.

"Now, slit the skin like this," Sophia instructed, "and peel it off. Then we slice it into thin slices like this."

Blaine followed her directions and soon had all of the plantains ready to be cooked. They set the slices in hot oil and fried them until they were a deep yellow.

"Not browned or they won't be the right consistency," she warned as Blaine removed the pieces that were done to drain on paper in a bowl.

While they were doing that, Maria made the shrimp to go with the mofongo.

"Now, we take several pieces of the plantain at a time and put them in the pilon," Sophia said, getting the pilon out of a cupboard and setting it down in front of Blaine.

"Pilon?"

"Yes, you would call it a mortar and pestle, I think," she told him, "but this one is made of wood."

They ground the plantain slices in the pilon, adding tiny slivers of garlic, salt, and pepper as they ground it into paste. Each time the plantains in the pilon were mashed to the right consistency, Sophia removed them to a large bowl and added more. At last they were all mashed.

"We will make them into balls and set them on the plates here," she said, demonstrating how to do this step, creating a sort of crater in the center of each ball. "And this is where the shrimp will go."

Maria and Kurt added the shrimp to each ball of mofongo and the plates were brought to the table. Jose, Romero, and Carmella joined the cooks at the table. After saying grace, they passed the bowl of fruit salad and everyone began to eat. It was a wonderful meal, lots of laughter and many explanations about the island culture. Blaine was overjoyed to have both a new recipe to make for Kurt and to have made such good friends.

Maria winked at Kurt as they cleared the table and brought back cups of coffee. She had shown Kurt how to make the version her family liked best, called Cortadito which was somewhat like an espresso but made with locally grown coffee beans called Yaucono. Sugar was placed in a cup and just enough of the hot coffee to make a paste, which was stirred and then the hot coffee was poured on it making a sweet froth on top. It was then served with a layer of steamed milk to finish it.

It was a lovely evening and they played dominoes with the family on their patio as the cool ocean breezes brought the refreshing smell of salt water to them. It wasn't until both Blaine and Kurt were yawning that Jose asked his son, Romero, to get their luggage out of the jeep and show them the way to the guest house.

"Goodnight, Mr. Blaine and Mr. Kurt," the boy said.

"Goodnight, Romero, and thank you," Blaine said back.

"We'll see you in the morning," Kurt added, shaking the boy's hand.

"That was fun, I loved the open air market," Kurt said, grinning.

"You, my dear, just like to shop," Blaine kidded, kissing Kurt on the temple and running his hand under his jaw for a moment and looking into those gorgeous blue eyes.

Kurt couldn't think of a single comeback and briefly worried he was losing his sarcastic edge, but Blaine's kisses had reached his mouth and he stopped wondering to concentrate on kissing Blaine back.

They were in bed, listening to the ocean wash onto the shore in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. It had been a long day and they had more to do tomorrow so it was fine to just lay in each other's arms and drift off to the sound of the sea.

"Goodnight, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Blaine said, snuggling closer to Kurt, kissing his bare shoulder briefly before laying his head on it.

"Goodnight, Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Kurt said back, kissing Blaine's head.

"Buenos dias," Maria greeted the boys when they walked across the patio to sit down with the Rivera family. "Did you sleep well?"

"We did. The sound of the ocean was like a lullaby," Kurt grinned, finding Blaine's hand under the table and taking hold of it. Blaine smiled at him, winking when nobody was looking.

"Carmella and Sophia are making breakfast, some traditional food we hope you enjoy," Jose told them. He loved that the boys were so adventurous when it came to food. So many tourists would not even give the Puerto Rican food a chance, but both Blaine and Kurt seemed to embrace the food and culture of the island. Jose smiled to himself, thinking he had to thank the Sterling family for thinking of him when they suggested the boys honeymoon here.

Carmella was around 15 years old and looked very much like her beautiful elder sister, but she was a lot more shy, hiding behind Sophia when they came out on the patio with the breakfast. Sophia was carrying several plates and she set them down in front of Kurt and Blaine before returning to the kitchen for the rest of the plates. They were all sitting down and Carmella was pouring something that looked like orange juice in the small glasses next to each plate.

"Oh, this smells divine! Tell me about it, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this in Oregon," Blaine said, looking at the pastry on his plate.

"This is called a mallorca. It is fresh baked bread stuffed with ham, eggs, and cheese that is buttered and grilled, then sprinkled with powdered sugar. Everyone has their own recipe. This one the girls learned from their grandmother," Maria explained.

When everyone was seated and grace was said, they ate the luscious pastry. Kurt was the first to drink the orange juice and Sophia giggled at the face he made. It looked and smelled like orange juice, but the taste was something very different from what he was used to. He hurried to take another big swallow, savoring it.

"Oh, Kurt, you are so cute. Tell me, have you never had Puerto Rican style orange juice?" Sophia asked, her face a mask of innocence.

"No, but I'm thinking of buying a few trees so I can have this for breakfast at home every day!" he joked, obviously loving the drink.

"What makes it taste so different?" Blaine asked, taking another sip.

"La China Dulce. We use oranges called 'Chinas', you might call them naranges? Here, let me show you. See the tree with branches hanging over the gate?" she asked, pointing at a gate at the far side of the yard. From it's branches hung huge citrus fruit that looked a great deal like grapefruit, but were yellowish green. "Those are the oranges we use. I picked them this morning and just squeezed them, I don't add any ingredients – the sweetness is their natural taste," Sophia told them. "I'm happy you like it," she said, looking down demurely and letting her smile show a little. She was not a person to brag about herself and was feeling a bit shy.

"It is just wonderful, my complements to our chefs!" Kurt said, squeezing Sophia's hand for a brief moment. "Everything here has been so delicious and we appreciate all your hard work to make us feel so welcome."

"Thank you," Sophia said very quietly, but he could see the sparkle in her eyes and he knew he had made her happy.

Breakfast done, Maria brought out the delicious Puerto Rican coffee that Kurt and Blaine knew they would miss it the most when they went home. Jose took out the itinerary for the day and began to discuss it with the boys.

"Today is the day we go to el Yunque. Dress for a warm place, nothing fancy as we will be walking through the forest. Be sure to wear thick socks and sturdy hiking boots. I have canteens and things for our trek. I'll meet you here in half an hour and we'll get going," he told them.

Stepping out of the car, Kurt was at first very intimidated. He had lived in the Oregon wilderness with Blaine, but seeing the vast forest he got a cold chill that was almost fear for a moment. Always attuned to Kurt, Blaine slipped a reassuring hand into his husband's and tried smiling at him to calm his nerves. Kurt visibly relaxed. He knew Blaine would take care of him and his fear dissipated. Blaine, on the other hand, was thrilled at the sight of the forest. He could hardly wait to walk in and bury himself in the wild feel of the place.

"This is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system, and has been designated a National Forest for over 100 years. It rains here just about every day because of the climate created by the Trade Winds hitting the mountains. We have over 6 meters of rainfall every year."

Blaine and Kurt followed Jose to a building and while their guide was inside they looked at some of the displays that told about the forest. There was a large cage filled with foliage and pans of bright fruit in holders. A woman was standing near it and she turned from her work to talk to Kurt and Blaine.

"Would you like to see the birds?" she asked and the boys walked over.

"Yes, what kind of birds?" Blaine asked.

"Puerto Rican parrots. These are part of a breeding program, so we keep them in flight cages, but every year we are able let more and more go back to the wild. They are an endangered species, but we're winning the war with these. I think one day there will be a sustainable wild population back in the forest where they belong," she said with a hopeful smile.

"Oh, there!" Kurt said, not too loud, as he pointed out a small green parrot with a red forehead and blue feathers at the front of its wings.

"It's beautiful," Blaine said, looking at the bird that was poking its beak into a crevice in the tree. He loved birds and as Kurt had found out, birdwatching was one of his favorite hobbies.

A shout from the other building reminded them Jose was waiting and they ran back to find he was standing there holding the reins of four horses.

"You did say you can ride?" he asked and Blaine grinned.

"Yes, we used to ride in the forest in Oregon. Kurt isn't as practiced as I am, having been raised in the city, but he can stay on the horse," Blaine kidded, getting a play slap on the arm as Kurt gave him a frown. A minute later they were laughing as they mounted the horses and Jose started out, Blaine, Kurt, and finally Sophia followed in a line as they entered the rain forest.

It was a beautiful day and the rain was more of a light mist as they looked at all the surroundings. They had entered a darker part of the forest, near some rocky hills and a deep river when Blaine stopped his horse. Everyone halted as he pointed up to some branches in a low-growing tree to see some tiny birds. They watched for a while before the birds flew deeper into the forest.

"Were those humming birds?" Kurt asked. Having seen ruby-throated humming birds in Oregon.

"No, those are called 'San Pedrito' Sophia answered, looking at her father for conformation. He nodded his head.

"That is the colloquial name. They are actually Puerto Rican Todies and are more closely related to the kingfisher, but they eat lizards. They dig nests in the sides of hills," Jose elaborated.

"Oh! Look at that one!" Kurt said, "Wow, that is some tail," he said in wonder. There was a black and white bird with a bright red beak sitting on a branch, but the amazing thing was its tail. The bird was maybe six inches long, but its tail was almost a foot and a half long.

"That is a pin-tail whydah. They're funny in that they act like a mocking bird: laying their eggs in another bird's nest so when they hatch the other bird takes care of the fledglings," he said and the boys laughed.

Quite a ways into the rainforest, they passed by a waterfall. Everyone dismounted and they got water to drink from their canteens and ate some fruit they'd brought with them. Blaine caught movement by his side and with his quick reflexes, he caught a tiny frog in his hands.

"Look, Kurt! Like the Pacific Tree frogs in Oregon!"

"Oh, yes they do look like them, how cute," Kurt said, grinning at the memory of the time Blaine had caught him one during a ride in the mountains back in the lumber camp.

"That little ambassador is called the coqui." Jose explained, eying the little fellow.

Blaine set it back gently on the leafy branch where he caught it.

Once again mounted, they rode along the paved path that looped around and doubled back on itself. It had been a long day for two boys not used to riding for quite some time and Kurt recognized the dull ache in his hips and knees from his first days in Oregon. He didn't say anything, not wanting to put a damper on their trip.

They enjoyed the car ride back to Jose's house where they would spend the night before going on a ferry ride to Culebra Island and on to Vieques Island for the next three days. Jose would pick them up then for the next part of their tour.

After another scrumptious dinner, Blaine and Kurt headed back to the guest quarters on the other side of the patio.

"Did you have a good time today?" Kurt asked, rubbing absently at Blaine's shoulders as he leaned against his husband.

"It was wonderful, so nice to be back in a forest – even if it wasn't pine," Blaine giggled.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I did feel right at home there," Kurt told Blaine as he stopped rubbing and leaned forward, his bare chest in contact with Blaine's back. Blaine hummed his delight to have Kurt snuggling so close and Kurt put his cheek on Blaine's shoulder blade, his arms curling around his waist.

"I loved the birds...oh, and the tiny frog made me think of home," Blaine yawned. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "Tomorrow the white sand beaches of Culebra."

"Ah...I never took Spanish in school, but I did hang out with Santana a lot," Kurt said and smiled at Blaine's giggle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't 'culebra' mean snake?"

"Yes, I think so. But don't be afraid, there are no poisonous snakes in Puerto Rico. You'll be safe."

"Well, poisonous means we'd get sick if we ate it, but venomous means we'd get sick if they bit us...so my question would be: are there venomous snakes in Puerto Rico?" Kurt asked in a snarky voice. Blaine knew that meant that Kurt was hiding something, probably a fear of being killed by a snake in the grass or something.

"No, I don't think there are any dangerous snakes anywhere in Puerto Rico. Now, can I get some rest, baby? I'm tuckered out."

"Okay," Kurt agreed, trying to set aside his fear of snakes of any variety, dangerous or not.

They laid down and turned so Kurt was the little spoon and closed their eyes, Blaine's arms holding him tightly.

"Hey, Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah?"

"I think there's a snake in the bed now," Kurt said with a low voice. Blaine blinked, he had been on the edge of sleep.

"Now? What kind of snake would crawl in our bed?"

"A one-eyed trouser snake," Kurt giggled, backing himself into Blaine and rubbing his butt against Blaine's growing erection.

"Kurt!" Blaine said, but leaned forward to kiss Kurt's neck and get a bit closer, the thought of sleep leaving his brain.

It was a bright morning and Kurt and Blaine found themselves on the ferry to Culebra Island for a day of swimming and beach combing.

"You know I don't do sun, Blaine. What else can we do on this island?" Kurt asked and Blaine poked him in the belly playfully. Kurt frowned but a little kiss to the corner of his mouth made him smile once again.

"We'll have a nice room on the beach, very private, so we can just be honeymooners during the hottest part of the day. How does that sound?" Blaine asked, caressing the inside of Kurt's wrist and kissing his neck.

"It sounds wonderful, but we're on a ferry filled with people, so maybe you could stop kissing my neck? I'm only wearing running shorts and this could become embarrassing quickly, my sweet," Kurt whispered, his voice beginning to squeak a little. Blaine grinned and kissed him one more time – on his soft lips – and guided him over to the railing so they could see the island coming into view.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Kurt said. "Blaine! Look!" he pointed to the water where a dolphin was swimming close to the ferry.

An employee of the ferry came over with a bucket.

"You've spotted our pet, I see," he said, smiling at the boys.

"Your pet?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, he was injured and two of the employees jumped in and guided him to shallow water. We called a veterinarian and he came and sewed up the gash in his side. He thought it might have been from a motorboat. Ever since then, Flipper comes and begs for fish. He's really quite friendly," the man said.

"Flipper?" Kurt laughed.

"I didn't name him. The son of the man that saved him had seen the movie and named him. Would you like to throw him some fish?" he asked.

Kurt pulled his hand back, not sure if he wanted to smell like fish for the rest of the day, but Blaine was all for it.

"I'd love to!" Thank you, sir," he said and took a fish from the bucket and threw it for Flipper.

The dolphin grabbed it and ate it in the blink of an eye, then reared out of the water, seemingly riding the wave on his tail for a brief moment while he made a noise as if he were chattering at them. Blaine's smile couldn't be any brighter. The man offered him the bucket again and he fed Flipper once more, laughing at the mammal's antics. By this time, Kurt was loving the show so much, he took a fish and threw it for Flipper – who caught it in mid-air and swallowed it down. He jumped in the air, spinning in a full roll before disappearing beneath the water once again. In a few minutes, he was back begging for more.

"Oh, he's so funny!" Kurt said, grabbing Blaine's hand.

"Thank you so much for letting us feed him, that was great," Blaine said, holding out his right, non-fishy hand. "I'm Blaine and this is my husband, Kurt."

The man gave him a strange look and Kurt had a terrible feeling in his stomach. It had been a while since he had felt rejection and it didn't feel good.

"Please, wait here," the man said and quickly turned and went inside the ferry house. Kurt looked at Blaine, his eyes filling with tears. Would this prejudice never end? He wanted to crawl inside himself so nobody could see him. Blaine took Kurt in his arms and held on. He was feeling a little bit the same, although he had never met as much homophobia as Kurt had in his life since he lived in such an isolated place. Living in Lima with Kurt, though, he'd had his share. They were looking for someplace else to go, but it was a small ferry in the middle of the ocean, so there was really no place togo.

"Courage," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear as he held him closer, rubbing his back to try and comfort him as much as possible.

The man was back, but this time he was holding another man's hand. What?

"Blaine, Kurt, I want to introduce you to my partner, Juan. I'm sorry if I am intruding, but he would never believe me if I didn't bring him here to introduce you to him in person," the man said.

"Ah...hello, Juan. And?" Blaine said, a questioning look on his face at the first man.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I was so excited, I didn't think...I am Carlos Pimental. This is my partner, Juan...oh, I already said that..." Carlos said, obviously too excited to speak coherently. He stuck out his hand once more and Blaine shook it.

"I hope you don't mind, but when you said you were on your honeymoon, well, it just seemed too exciting not to tell Juan. You see, marriage between two men is not legal here in Puerto Rico yet and to find a couple that is married...well, you understand, don't you?" Carlos asked. Juan slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him a bit closer in an attempt to comfort his partner.

"How long have you been together?" Kurt asked, coming out of his shell and joining the conversation. Blaine still held his arm around his waist to make sure he was okay, but Kurt was smiling at the two men now. Carlos looked to be in his fifties, Juan maybe a little younger.

"We met almost thirty years ago, in school. We became roommates because we loved each other, but it was not socially acceptable back then for two men to be lovers, so we kept it quiet. I went away to college when my father found out, but I came back after getting my degree in teaching because I missed Carlos too much. The world is changing, though, and we don't hide who we are any more. Can I ask where you are from?" Juan asked.

"We live in Oregon, but we had to go to Washington to get married. It is not legal yet in Oregon," Kurt told them.

"Oh, that is so wonderful. Maybe one day we can go to Washington and get married legally. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to marry Juan," Carlos lamented.

"Look us up when you do, we'd love to have you come to visit us," Blaine said, looking at Kurt with a warm smile. Kurt smiled back, so happy they had met these friendly people.

"Where are you staying on Culebra? Or are you coming back on the ferry tonight?" Carlos asked.

"At a private resort, the Flaminco. We want to see the turtles hatch. Do you know the best place for that?" Blaine asked. He knew most of the beaches had nests of leatherback and hawksbill turtles this time of year, but a local would know better where the best place would be to see them.

"If you would like, I get off work as soon as we dock. We live here on Culebra, and we have a boat. We'd love for you to be our guests and come with us to see Culebrita. It's a small island off the coast of Culebra and it's the best place for turtle watching and snorkeling this time of year. Would you like to come?" Juan asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Blaine looked at Kurt and they spoke an entire conversation without saying a word, like most married couples. They agreed it would be great fun and they would have alone time that evening at their hotel.

"Yes, we would love to come with you, thank you so much for your kind offer," Blaine accepted. All four men began to talk at once, laughing and chatting the rest of the way to the island. Flipper danced on the waves and they fed him fish until they reached the shallow water.

Once they reached Culebrita, the wonders kept Kurt's and Blaine's eyes open to all the wildlife to be seen there. Carlos had enough snorkeling equipment for all of them and they spent several hours looking at the abundant sealife from moray eels to baby lobsters, schools of brightly colored fish and amazing corals. It was a dream come true for the boys as they saw more things than they could have imagined.

Kurt had to surface frequently to reapply sunscreen to protect his skin, and Blaine was always happy to rub it on. They finally got tired and Juan suggested they stop for lunch, which Carlos and Juan had brought in a large basket.

They sat under some shady trees and ate in companionable silence for a while.

"How did they two of you meet? You seem very young to be married, if I might say so," Carlos asked.

"Now that is a long story," Kurt said, reaching over to put an arm around his husband. Blaine and Kurt told the story of Kurt's attack and the subsequent train ride to the lumber camp and how he got back home all the way to their wedding. Carlos and Juan sat spellbound as the boys recounted the trial and tribulations of their life together.

"We are kind of young to be married I suppose, we're both nineteen, but it seems like we've lived ten years in the last two," Blaine said, scooting closer to Kurt to pull him into his lap and put his arms around him. Carlos smiled at the gesture and Juan took his partner's hand.

They sat in the shade for a few hours, just talking and taking in the beautiful place.

"Would you like to see the turtle beach?" Juan asked after they had rested.

"That would be lovely!" Kurt said, knowing it was one of the things Blaine had most wanted to see.

They got up, dusted the sand from their clothes and walked for a while to another beach. Juan explained how to watch without disturbing the turtles and they walked quietly to a better vantage point to sit and keep a lookout. They were lucky enough to see as several baby turtles emerged, flipping their way to the sea when they found they were free of the encumbering confines of their shells. Blaine's eyes were as big as dinner plates, he was so mesmerized by the tiny little things, so Kurt was careful to take a lot of photos so they would remember the experience. He had an underwater camera bought just for the trip, so he had taken a lot of pictures of the things they found while snorkeling, too.

There were several other people on the beach and Kurt asked a woman if she would take their pictures. She was glad to help out and so they got pictures of Juan and Carlos with Kurt and Blaine. They had a wonderful day and everyone was sad when it was over. They returned to Calebra and Carlos escorted them to their hotel, promising to pick them up the following afternoon to take them back to the ferry.

"Oh, that was so much fun!" Blaine crowed as they walked into their room.

"It was. I don't think we would have had near as good a time if we hadn't made friends with Carlos and Juan. I'm amazed at how friendly the people are here. It's not like Ohio at all," Kurt complained.

"Well, I bet there are plenty of nice people in Ohio, and I suppose there are some not-so-nice ones here. I think we were just lucky," Blaine said, taking off the clothes he'd been wearing all day. They were a bit stiff with the salt from the sea and he set them to soak in the bathroom sink along with Kurt's.

"Do you think they will come to Washington to get married some day?" Kurt asked, meaning Juan and Carlos.

"I'd love for them to visit us, but it's just too bad same sex marriage isn't legal here. I'd like to think it will be legal everywhere one day. Soon."

"I'm not holding my breath. In a perfect world, yes it might happen...but this is not a perfect world, is it?" Kurt said, feeling petulant.

"Yes, it is. I have you. What else could I possibly need?" Blaine crooned, coming to throw his arms around his very naked husband.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Kurt kissed him, moving his soft lips across Blaine's mouth, then licking to taste the salty sheen that remained on his lips from the last dip in the ocean before they came home.

"Let's get in the shower, my love, this salty residue isn't good for my hair," Kurt said, making an excuse to have a very wet Blaine in his arms.

"I'm right there with you," Blaine whispered, kissing across the back of Kurt's neck when he turned.

They got in the luxurious shower together, letting the pounding water wash over them as Blaine washed Kurt's hair with the shampoo they brought in their luggage. He ran his fingers through the chestnut locks, scrubbing his fingertips on Kurt's scalp until he sighed with content, loving that Blaine took such good care of him. It reminded him of the days when Blaine would heat a large kettle of water and wash his hair in the cabin, going out on the back porch to rinse all the foam away with dippersfull of the hot water. He missed those days of there being only Blaine and himself in the cabin. Other people were nice, and he loved to have good friends to talk to, but being alone with Blaine was what he craved.

All done with Kurt's hair, he allowed Kurt to do his, Kurt's fingers carding through the mop of curls that were going untamed for the most part this vacation. He knew Kurt loved the curls, so he didn't use that goblin's blood concoction to lacquer it into shape as he had when he lived with Kurt in Lima. No, this was so much better, and he loved the feel of Kurt's fingers in his hair.

Having rinsed the shampoo out of Blaine's hair, Kurt took the soap and a washcloth and washed his husband, rubbing up against him as he went, knowing Blaine loved to feel his slippery skin sliding across his own. By the time Kurt had been thoroughly washed as well, they were kissing under the fall of the water, tongues dancing together and hands sliding across hot skin.

"Kurt, oh...that feels nice," Blaine whispered as Kurt's hand slid up and down Blaine's fully erect cock. He was standing behind Blaine, his own cock rubbing along the crease between his buttocks and one hand rubbing gently on Blaine's nipple, the other stroking his erection. It wasn't long before Blaine was panting, pushing against Kurt's cock and trying to get closer.

"Let's dry off and get into bed," Blaine whispered and Kurt turned off the shower, Blaine helping him over the side of the tub in case his knee was sore today from all the activity.

Kurt was the first one in bed, holding the covers open for Blaine to snuggle in with him. They lay together for a while, just looking into each other's eyes. They had been together for what seemed like a long time, but this never got old – sharing the same thoughts, sharing the love they felt. Kurt moved the few inches closer and kissed Blaine gently on the lips, just a soft, tender kiss to tell him how much he was loving this honeymoon. Blaine hummed into the kiss, slowly changing it from its chaste beginning to having his tongue enter Kurt's mouth and rub along his tongue, soft and warm and full of love. They just kissed for a while, their bodies creeping closer together as if by some gravitational pull. They finally noticed as their skin was touching from lips to toes, their legs twined together, their arms around each other.

Blaine pulled back enough to allow himself room to kiss down Kurt's neck and bite playfully on his collarbone, eliciting a moan from Kurt's throat. Kurt's fingers found Blaine's nipple on the left side and slid over it, increasing pressure until he heard a returning groan. They slid and brushed and stroked their fingers and lips all over each other, slowly as they felt each new texture, allowed each new tingle to linger.

"Do you want to be on top this time?" Kurt asked, not particular which position he had since he was very happy with either one.

"Yes, baby...please..." Blaine asked, resuming his kissing as soon as he said it. Kurt hummed his agreement and buttered his fingers with the astroglide, and prepped Blaine gently. He added more to his fingers and stroked on himself before spreading Blaine's legs and sliding in.

"Oh...Kurt...that's right, there...there..." he babbled as Kurt took his cock in his lube-covered hand. "Kurt..." he moaned, almost overwhelmed by the stimulation that was spreading delicious warmth throughout his whole body. Seeing how Blaine was taking it, Kurt leaned down and took a nipple into his mouth and sucked gently, rubbing his tongue across it and Blaine moaned louder, calling Kurt's name as if it were sacred. Kurt loved seeing his husband like this: it wasn't always easy to get him to just let go and to see him unravel like this was such a turn on. Kurt was so close to his climax it was hard to force himself to hold on, but he did for Blaine's sake - holding his breath and thinking it away, slowing the stroke inside Blaine for a moment. It took immense concentration, but he stopped himself and was able to see Blaine in a clearer light. Blaine was lying with his head back against the pillows, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his hands gripping bunches of the blanket while his arms trembled at the tight grip. His legs were curled around Kurt's body, locked there as he curled his very toes in his pursuit of his climax. Kurt redoubled his efforts, changing the angle just a bit, stroking harder with his hand over Blaine's cock, kissing up his chest to suck on the tender skin of his neck, and finally whispering in his ear, "Now, Blaine, come for me, baby," and Blaine's body obeyed as if that was the key needed to unlock him. He groaned loudly, planting his feet in the mattress and pushing down to get as much of Kurt inside him as he possible could.

"Kurt!" he actually shouted, "Oh, my love...Kurt, baby..." he croaked, his throat rough from panting so hard. He tensed all of the muscles in his body and the resulting pressure along with the amazing look in his eyes as he opened them to look into Kurt's was what finally defeated Kurt's resolve to wait. It came upon him like a steam train, and Kurt was powerless to stop it this time. He came with a burst of adrenaline that would have brought him to his knees if he were standing. The heat sped through his veins so fast Kurt was hardly aware of it and he spilled all of his semen deep into Blaine, almost sobbing at the intensity, all of his energy spent. As it was, he collapsed onto Blaine, who gathered Kurt in his arms and held him close until the throbbing finally stopped and Kurt gave a sigh of exhaustion.

They lay together on the towels on the bed, hardly able to do anything other than hold each other gently and look into their eyes. Kurt finally closed his and Blaine was not much behind him and they fell asleep for a while until the need to clean up forced them awake to discard the towels in the hamper and wash up before tumbling back into the luxurious bed and fall soundly asleep, once again listening to the sea crash against the shore.

**Author's Note: Thanks to my lovely friend, Sophia, who asked me: "Why don't Kurt and Blaine ever go to Puerto Rico?"**

**She answered my questions, gave me ideas and suggestions, answered more questions, and told me so many things about the lovely place she lives that my fondest wish is to visit her island one day. **

**Any errors are mine, not hers, and I hope you all fell in love with Puerto Rico as much as I did. Love you, Sophia!**

**Also, if you want to see the illustrated version (including cute pictures of the wildlife, food, and places..including baby leatherbacks!) go to the other fan site, scarvesandcoffee net and find the story with the same name. **


	37. Chapter 37 - Honeymooners

Sitting on the beach on Vieques Island, the sky dark after the setting sun, Kurt was leaning back on Blaine's lap, his eyes closed.

"Is it dark enough yet?" Kurt asked as Blaine combed his fingers through his husband's hair.

"Nope. Now quit asking. I told you I would let you know. Here, scoot closer and you can put your head in my lap and try to fall asleep for a little while, okay?" Blaine suggested.

"Okay. You feel comfy," Kurt said in a sleepy voice, his arm going around Blaine's waist as he settled down for a nap, head cradled in Blaine's lap.

Blaine closed his own eyes for a moment. He had to admit he was tired, too. They had made the most of the tour of Culebra yesterday, sleeping in the hotel room and then it was off to the ferry to take them to this island. They would spend the night and be back in San Juan tomorrow afternoon. They had planned a lot of activities for this week, but next week was five days on a secluded private beach with nobody anywhere near them. It was expansive to rent the private lodgings, but all of their friends and family had chipped in to pay for this honeymoon and Carole had helped them decide on the itinerary.

Kurt had woken up this morning with a sore knee, so he was wearing the brace and it tended to make him tire quickly, though Blaine felt just as tired. They were going to see Mosquito Bay at night, then crawl into bed for some much-needed sleep.

Blaine blinked his eyes open when he heard some others on the beach ohhing and awwing.

"Kurt, wake up. Baby, wake up to see the bay," Blaine tried gently to wake him, but had to resort to giving him a bit of a shake to get him fully coherent.

"Wow!" Kurt exclaimed, seeing the bio-luminescent bay for the first time. It was amazing.

"You know the glow comes from a type of creature, an ocean plankton, called a dinoflagellate. It feeds off of the mangroves and when the water is disturbed or they run into each other, they luminesce," a man sitting near them said when he realized the boys were new to the bay.

"That is amazing!" Kurt said.

"Kind of like fireflies in Ohio, right?" Blaine added, grinning and thinking back on all the nights he and Kurt sat in the backyard of the Hummel house and watched the fireflies at night.

They sat and watched as kayakers skimmed across the bay, their oars lighting up as they disturbed the plankton as they dipped into the water.

Quite some time later, Blaine realized that Kurt was asleep and he kissed his cheek.

"Wake up, sweetheart, we need to walk back to our room," Blaine said softly in his ear.

Kurt sat up, wanting more than anything to just stay there with the cool breeze and lay with his cheek on Blaine's warm skin.

"Come on, we need to go back and get some sleep, my love," Blaine tried again and this time Kurt managed to get up. With his arm around Kurt for support, Blaine managed to get him back to their room and into bed. He locked up and set the alarm so they wouldn't miss the ferry because Jose was meeting them.

Kurt was sound asleep once again. When Blaine undressed him, he groaned at being disturbed, but was happy enough to settle in Blaine's arms before they both were out for the night.

"Sophia!" Kurt spotted her first as they disembarked from the ferry, carrying their heavy luggage. She was driving her father's car and came to help with the suitcases.

"No, sweetie, we can manage. You don't need to carry these," Blaine said, always the gentleman.

"It's fine. I may be a girl, but I can lift a suitcase. You'd let my father help if he were here, wouldn't you?" she asked, ready to stare Blaine down as if it were a matter of pride.

"Oh..sorry, Sophia, you do have a point. Okay, you can carry this one," he offered, letting go of a small suitcase. Sophia glared at him. Blaine set down a medium sized one for her and her frown was gone. She picked up both suitcases and put them in the trunk of the car, then turned to Kurt.

"You can have as many as your want, honey, I won't argue with you, my knee is very sore today," Kurt laughed as he thought of Santana for a brief moment. Sophia picked up the heavy suitcase, leaned to grab another and got them all in the trunk of the car, turning and dusting off her hands.

"Is that all?" she asked and both boys nodded, they didn't want this little spitfire upset with them. Both were a bit embarrassed they had underestimated her.

"Now, since it is still early, I can drive you to your next destination, which my father told me was Ponce?" she asked, still looking like they had ruffled her feathers.

"Can we stop for a snack first? I'm kind of thirsty," Kurt asked and got a nod from the girl.

They were driving down a street when Kurt called out for her to stop. He jumped out of the car and bought three Piraguas: lemon for himself, strawberry for Sophia, and passionfruit for Blaine. Before they knew it, he was back, passing out the icy sweet treats.

"Thank you, Kurt," Sophia said, her beautiful eyes once again dancing. She may have had a small crush on the two honeymooners. "Oh, strawberry! Next to raspberry, this is my favorite." She ate the shaved ice with a bright smile and once again ended up with very pink lips from the strawberry juice, so the boys teased her.

"It looks like you've been kissing someone," Kurt said, giggling along with her as she denied it.

Blaine kept the teasing up until they had finished and all got back in the car.

"This is a long drive …..well, for me it is long, but probably not for you since you live in a vast place with roads that go everywhere," she said. "It will take us a little less than an hour and a half to get there."

"That's fine, we thank you for taking us. This has been a wonderful vacation and a lot of that is because you and your family are such good people. Everyone we've met here had been kind, polite, nice. I think this must be a good place to live," Blaine said and Sophia smiled with pride.

They drove along the highway, looking out at the scenery. It was as though the entire island was a paradise – so many things to see and talk about. As they drove, Kurt started to get sleepy. He was taking the pain medication the doctor had prescribed, and it worked to ease the pain in his knee, but it also made him drowsy.

"Sophia, do you sing?" he asked, thinking they could sing to pass the time.

"Well, maybe in the shower..." she said, blushing.

"What songs do you like?" Blaine asked.

"Ah, musicals are good, I want to visit New York one day and see a Broadway show," she told them, smiling at the thought.

"Our school did 'Grease' one year. Do you know any songs from that?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, I know all of them!" Sophia bounced in her seat, excited at the prospect of singing some of her favorites. "Can I be Rizzo?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart. You would make the very best Rizzo of all," Blaine said, grinning. He began singing, Kurt and Sophia joined in.

_There are worse things I could do, than go with a boy or two  
Even though the neighborhood thinks I'm trashy and no good  
I suppose it could be true, but there are worse things I could do_

After the first verse, the boys stopped singing and Sophia sang the rest by herself, her pretty eyes showing her happiness as she sang in a slightly lower voice to sound more like Rizzo.

_I could flirt with all the guys, smile at them and bat my eyes  
Press against them when we dance, make them think they stand a chance  
Then refuse to see it through, that's a thing I'd never do_

I could stay home every night, wait around for Mr. Right  
Take cold showers every day, and throw my life away  
On a dream that won't come true

I could hurt someone like me, out of spite or jealousy  
I don't steal and I don't lie, but I can feel and I can cry  
A fact I'll bet you never knew  
But to cry in front of you, that's the worst thing I could do 

By the time Sophia was done, the boys were clapping and whistling. Sophia laughed, she was really having the time of her life. Kurt sang next, and they all joined in with _Summer Nights_ and _Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee_. After they calmed down and just watched the scenery for a while, Blaine started humming. Pulling Kurt close in his arms, he sang one more Grease song: _I'm Hopelessly Devoted To You._

"I hope you know you don't ever have to sing that for real, Blaine. I'm never going to break your heart, baby. Never," he whispered and cuddled a little closer, their arms wrapped around each other as Kurt fell asleep. Blaine kissed his cheek and brushed a non-existent bit of hair from his forehead.

"I love you, too," he said softly and Kurt nuzzled his face closer to Blaine's broad chest.

"Is he asleep?" Sophia asked.

"Yes, the pain medication makes him a little sleepy, but he's okay. He broke his leg last summer and it still bothers him from time to time," Blaine explained.

"Well, I will be careful driving then. Are you having a good time here?" she asked.

"Oh, Sophia, this is the best. I have loved every minute of it. Puerto Rico is the jewel of the Caribbean I think, it is beautiful and has such a rich history, so many amazing cultural things we've been privileged to participate in...I know we're coming back one day," Blaine smiled.

"I'm so happy you love it, I am proud of where I live, but it's nice to hear that someone else loves it, too."

They eventually came to Ponce and Blaine kissed his husband awake. Sophia dropped them off at the hotel where they would be staying for two nights, carrying some of the luggage upstairs for the boys.

"Thank you, Sophia," Kurt said, meaning it because his leg was very sore today.

In the hotel room, Sophia and Kurt sat in the overstuffed chairs in the bedroom as Blaine set about unpacking. Kurt fell immediately asleep, curled in the chair with his head cradled in his folded arms.

"We're going to tour the Castillo de la Serralles," Blaine mentioned as he put the few clothes they would use in the next days in the drawers.

"Today?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah...did you want to come with us?" Blaine asked her, thinking she was maybe wanting to see it.

"Oh, how kind of you, but no. What I was wondering...is Kurt up to that? It's a long walk to see all the rooms and if you walk the grounds? Well, it isn't my business, I'm so sorry to have been rude," she blushed.

"No, no. You weren't at all. I think you may be right, though. He looks exhausted, doesn't he?" Blaine observed. "I know we overdid the walking the last few days, so maybe we should just rest for today. We can stay inside today and tomorrow, maybe walk a little around downtown, and then be rested for the last adventure on Thursday. We're going to Cuevas de Camuy and I know that requires a lot of walking," Blaine said, rethinking their itinerary. He was happy to go on the tour of the Spanish Revival mansion that had belonged to a major player in the sugar trade of Puerto Rico so long ago, but not at the expense of Kurt's health.

"Thank you, Sophia. Sometimes I can't see what's right in front of me. I agree he needs to rest," Blaine said, brushing his hand through Kurt's hair.

"You're welcomed. I want to thank you for allowing me to sing with you, I had a marvelous time, but I need to get home. I will see you next week when we pick you up on your way back to Dorado. Until then," she said, getting up and dusting off her short skirt, preparing to leave. Blaine escorted her to her father's car.

"Be safe, my friend," he said, "and thank you for all of your help. We loved being with you, Sophia." Blaine stepped closer and gave her a hug, pulling her into the air and holding her close in his arms, then kissing her cheek before he let her down.

Sophia's eyes were wide as she stumbled for a step, her knees weak because the boy she had a crush on had kissed her cheek. Not to mention his warm, wonderful hug. Sophia thought she could live in those warm arms – and was a bit jealous of Kurt for a second. But she resumed her sweet smile and waved goodbye as she drove off, back to her father's house.

Blaine walked back in the room, seeing Kurt was still asleep. He got his pajama pants on in spite of the fact it wasn't dinner time yet, and closed the drapes on all the windows. He adjusted the temperature in the room and pulled the covers down on the huge luxurious bed. He grinned, thinking it was a far cry from the rope bed he and Kurt had slept on for so long.

Blaine gently lifted Kurt, setting him on the bed and removing his clothes, all but his boxer briefs, and got him under the blankets. Climbing into the bed after him, Blaine laid down and squirmed closer to Kurt.

"Mmmmm" Kurt hummed, reaching out a weak arm to envelope Blaine, tugging him closer with a surprising strength compared to just a moment ago.

"Come closer, baby, I need you," Kurt mumbled. While Blaine's brain interpreted it as Kurt needing to be close, Kurt's body had quite a different idea.

Blaine pulled Kurt next to him and was met with a deep kiss, convincing his body that sleeping wasn't the only activity to be had in a bed. He kissed Kurt for a while, but concern about his sore leg and how tired he had been seeped in.

"Hey, Kurt, wait a sec...I think we need to take a nap first. You are obviously tired and we have a long day ahead of us. How about we go to sleep and take up where we left off, okay?" Blaine explained, trying to convince Kurt as well as himself of the sense in that.

"No..." Kurt whined, pulling Blaine's face closer so he could kiss his lips once again.

"Yes, honey. Now, lay down and relax, I'll help you fall asleep," Blaine crooned to Kurt, coaxing him into lying back down, this time on his stomach. Blaine rubbed his shoulders and when Kurt practically purred, Blaine got up and knelt on the bed. He began the gentle massage on Kurt's neck, softly rubbing and pressing down on the muscles, skimming across the tender skin, working his way down Kurt's back. Skipping his ass, Blaine was massaging his leg when he heard a snore...an actual snore coming from Kurt. He looked to see if he was joking around, but no...Kurt was limp as a dishrag, making a sweet little snoring noise as he breathed out. It was all Blaine could do not to giggle as he got out his cell and took a short video of it. This was priceless.

He finished massaging the sore leg and laid back down. By this time he was sleepy himself and snuggled up to Kurt, his arm automatically going around his lover's waist and shoulder. Blaine was almost asleep when Kurt moved, snuggling his ass right into Blaine's groin before another little snore escaped and they both slept.

"Hey, aren't we supposed to be touring a castle right now?" Kurt said, sitting up and looking around himself.

Blaine opened his eyes and looked over at his portable alarm clock.

"Ah...no. We slept through dinner, that's 11:00 at night, Kurt, not almost noon," Blaine said, surprised he had slept so long.

"What?"

"Well, Sophia pointed out how tired you were and what a strenuous climb the caves are going to be. She suggested we skip the castle and just walk around downtown a bit and rest. I don't want your leg to get to be a major problem for you, Kurt. I think we need the rest," Blaine tried to convince his husband. He knew how stubborn Kurt could be.

"I guess you're right. I hate to miss something like that – how many times can you see a real live castle, after all?"

"I think we agree that this is a place we'll be coming back to again, right?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, I love it here. I have to admit I was skeptical when Jeff told us about it, but he was right. I've loved each and every day we've been here. This needs to be our vacation spot that we come back to, bring our children to, hell - bring our _grandchildren_ to year after year. A great tradition, don't you think?" Kurt asked. Blaine grinned and nodded his head.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, baby. I think that is a noble thought." Blaine grinned, taking Kurt's hand and lacing their fingers together. He played with Kurt's hand, nervous for some reason, and Kurt picked up on it.

"Hey, Blaine, what's going on in your head? Don't tell me 'nothing' because I won't believe you."

"I am just worried about you. You broke your leg a _year_ ago, why is it still so bad?" Blaine wondered. It had been on his mind for quite a while, but he knew it was a sensitive subject between them.

"It's just weaker than my other one. If I use it too much, it hurts. The doctor told us that, remember? I'll always know when a storm is coming from the ache in that leg, like all the old grandpas you read about in stories. I just didn't rest it enough between all the extra activity the past few days. Don't worry about it, Blaine. It isn't all that bad, I have some medication if I need it, and I'm perfectly happy. Don't worry any more, okay? It gives you frown lines, baby, and we both know your skin regimen could use some updates..." Kurt tried to kid.

Blaine had heard all about the obsessive skin conditioning that Kurt had done before he'd found himself in the Oregon wilderness. Many of his friends and family told tall tales of the amount of time, energy, and money Kurt had spent on it. While it was a source for gentle kidding, Blaine knew it was Kurt trying to deflect the hurtful teasing and bullying he had lived with then. The relentless skin conditioning was, in much the same way that he had dressed in wild outfits, a way to hide his true self from the bullies. If they were commenting on his fashion choices, they weren't commenting on him. Kurt probably didn't do that as a conscious choice, but the outcome was the same: a way to cope with the harsh world he found himself living in.

Blaine really was worried about Kurt's leg, but set it aside in his head. There would be plenty of time to see a doctor when they got back to Oregon. He made a decision to do things that were less strenuous for the rest of the trip. His mind made up, he turned back to Kurt.

"Hey, are you hungry? We slept through dinner, I thought we might be up to something from room service or maybe go see what's open in a club?" Blaine suggested.

"Oh, you read my mind. Yes, I'm starving. Let's order in, save my leg for seeing the castle tomorrow, okay?" Kurt's eyes brightened.

They chose way too much food from room service to eat in one sitting, but the room came equipped with a small kitchenette, so they could save most for the next day. Sitting on the floor, the balcony doors open to the cool night breeze, they fed each other delightful tidbits of the wonderful food of the island. Stuffed with food, they made their way to the balcony and sat watching the nightlife below them in the city. It was the only hotel they booked that didn't have a view of the ocean, but they were fine with that. Ponce was a city of lights and music and it was a great change of pace.

Several hours later, Blaine caught Kurt yawning and suggested they go to bed.

"To bed or to sleep?" Kurt asked coyly, fluttering his eyelashes at his husband.

"Well, let's get in that giant marshmallow of a bed and see what comes up," Blaine said in a voice like Groucho Marx, eliciting a laugh from Kurt. They giggled together and stood up, Kurt leaning on Blaine as he helped him to bed.

Once under the sheets, Blaine pretended to be exhausted and curled his body into Kurt's closing his eyes immediately. Kurt sighed just a bit, not wanting Blaine to hear, and set his iPod on the nightstand with the speakers attached. He found his night time playlist and turned it on, filling the room with quiet music. He tried to sleep, but he had slept so much during the day it wasn't going to happen. Restless, he turned over for the fifth time and drummed his toes against the footboard of the bed.

Blaine grinned to himself. He moved slowly, not wanting Kurt to notice him, and crept closer. His hands slid around Kurt's body, dragging him across the mattress and into Blaine's arms. Kurt's back was to Blaine, so it was on the back of his neck that he felt the first kisses, gentle and slow as Blaine explored this bit of Kurt's anatomy for a while. Kurt got shivers down his back. It was delicious, being held and kissed by his husband, Blaine's strong arms tugging him closer.

Blaine's mouth moved to the side of his neck now, licking the sensitive spot behind Kurt's ear. His teeth scraped a little as Blaine pretended to bite him, a deep laugh sounding from his throat. Kurt couldn't help but arch back into Blaine's body and his ass grazed against the front of Blaine's pajama bottoms, feeling how hard his lover was for him. Kurt reached down and took off his boxer briefs, laying them beside him on the bed. He turned in Blaine's arms and slowly removed the pajama pants that were in his way so the honeymoon couple were lying naked in the cool breeze from the windows that Blaine had thrown open to the salt air.

Blaine resumed his exploration of Kurt's naked body, kissing or just running his lips along all the planes and valleys set before him. It was one of his favorite things to do: to see what changes had come about since last time, to seek out the ticklish spots and the ones that made Kurt shiver or moan. He had Kurt's body mapped in his head, and this was the way he kept that map current.

"Oh, that feels nice," Kurt crooned as Blaine kissed his ankle, running his hand up the sore leg to the offending knee. He put both hands around the knee for a few minutes to warm the flesh. He knew that while it didn't cure the pain, it could make it recede quite a bit. Rubbing the calf of Kurt's long leg, he watched his face to make sure there was no pain. Kurt was just lying back on the mountains of pillows, his eyes closed in contentment as Blaine continued to move across his body.

"Mmmmmm," Kurt hummed, Blaine now leaving small, soft kisses on his muscular legs as his lips traveled to the tender skin of Kurt's inner thigh. Blaine spread Kurt's legs apart, careful not to disturb his knee, and kissed along the crease that divided thigh from torso. Kurt's hip was next, Blaine biting along the hipbone but leaving no marks. He used to give Kurt hickeys but found that he didn't like marring such beautiful skin. He could kiss and lick and bite without having to leave evidence of it.

"Ahhh, Blaine, that feels so good. Sooo good, baby," Kurt said, although he probably wasn't even aware of the articulation as Blaine licked his way around the base of his cock, holding his balls in his other hand and gently caressing them. Kurt's hands went down to curl themselves in Blaine's silky locks as his motions got quicker and more precise. He had licked his way up the underside of the stiff erection in front of him and Kurt's knees were bent, feet planted in the mattress as Blaine used his mouth and hands to bring forth more sighs and moans from his lover.

"Blaine, come up here, I need you to kiss me," Kurt said after a while. He wanted this to last and was concerned that Blaine got to feel the same wonderful feelings. He was ever the gentleman, ever the patient and unselfish lover and Kurt had to take an active role to make it even.

Blaine did come up, leaving kisses and one long lick as he moved up Kurt's chest to kiss first his neck, then his mouth. They kissed for a long time, Kurt amazed as always at the taste of his husband. It didn't matter if he had spent a drunken night after eating garlic-laced spaghetti, his mouth always tasted fresh and sweet. Kurt could never get enough of it and delved deep with his tongue, teasing Blaine as he moved to use his own hands in places he knew drove Blaine to let loose and moan.

"Oh, Kurt...I do love you so much," Blaine muttered, as if amazed by it all over again. "I could never get enough of your body, of you," he added, kissing Kurt one more time. Kurt moved down Blaine's body now, returning all the care and love he had been feeling for the past half-hour. He didn't spend as much time with every nook and cranny, but went more for the end game, sinking his mouth around Blaine's cock and holding in his warm hand what he couldn't fit in his mouth. He moved in the rhythm they both knew by heart, licking and swirling his tongue to excite Blaine the way he knew would have him gasping in a few minutes. But he wasn't looking for an end to tonight's love, just a sort of catching up. Letting go and moving to kiss the same soft skin of Blaine's inner thighs, he spread his husband's legs and touched the small patch of skin that he knew Blaine could never lie still for.

"Oh...yes, Kurt...yes, baby.." he murmured as Kurt took his balls in the other hand and moved the spheres gently as he rubbed right behind them. Blaine's hand went to his cock, stroking a bit to ease the tension. Kurt laid down between Blaine's legs and sucked a kiss on his thigh, moving up as he licked his balls and shivered at the sound that came from Blaine's throat. By the time his tongue was circling the dusky pink skin of his opening, Blaine's legs were trembling and his breath was coming in gasps. Kurt's tongue ventured into the tight circular muscle, his hands massaging Blaine's balls and stroking his cock slowly.

"Oh, Kurt...please...please..." Blaine was chanting. Kurt pulled back, seeing the small bottle of lubricant on the mattress, he opened the lid and squeezed some onto his fingers. It didn't take long before Blaine was ready, and Kurt rolled him over on his side, scooting up in back of him to slide carefully into his depths.

Ahh...Kurt...yes, that's right..." they slid together, pushing to get closer, pulling back only to push together once again, and again, slowly and gently keeping up the rhythm and cadence. It was a building up and simmering down over and over, Kurt's arms holding Blaine close and giving him what he needed in that moment. Gentle kisses on the back of his neck as Kurt held on made Blaine shiver with desire for more contact and he grasped Kurt's hands that were resting on his chest. When he'd had everything he needed, when he wanted to give Kurt the same back again, they traded places and it all began again, the couple lying on their sides, as close as two people could possibly be until they shared the climax of their joining, grunting and moaning at the end. They slowly wound down, cuddling close together to enjoy the sweet aftermath of a glorious evening...falling asleep soon after and slept until the morning sun came in the open windows and roused them for another day.

In the end, Kurt and Blaine decided not to take the tour of the Serrelles castle, but to just walk slowly around the part of the city near the hotel. They were tired from the night before and Kurt's knee, while a bit better, was still stiff and sore and required more rest before the vigorous part of the trip the next day. Kurt was slow to get dressed, but came from the shower fresh and ready to start the new day. Blaine had ordered a fruit plate and they ate on the balcony, looking over the city. A thin tidal mist was covering the city this early and just seemed to blanket it in mystery which made the honeymooners even more anxious to soak up some of the local culture.

Blaine had been busy on the phone while Kurt was in the shower and when they walked out of the hotel, there was a horse-drawn carriage waiting for them. Kurt turned to Blaine, his eyes sparkling at the wonderful surprise.

"Oh, Blaine, you didn't have to do this for me!"

"Yes, I did. It's the only way to see all the jewels of Ponce I've been told, so let's take full advantage of it. Let me help you up," Blaine said as he put out a hand and assisted his husband into the carriage.

"Oh! This is beautiful!" Kurt seemed to say at every new site and Blaine was enjoying seeing Kurt so enthused. He pulled Blaine into a deep kiss once or twice and it was gratifying that such a simple thought made Kurt so happy.

Ponce was very different from San Juan, which boasted a lot of Florida-influenced high-rises and bright modern colors. Ponce had the flavor of old baroque including stone houses with large courtyards and balconies to plazas and street markets.

"Today I cannot take my horse near the city center. They are having a fiesta. I can take you near and you can observe it, then I will wait..." the driver offered.

"I'd love to see that, what about it, Kurt? Would you like it?" Blaine asked and Kurt could feel a vibe of excitement in his husband that was quickly spreading to his own body.

"Yes, let's go," he agreed and the driver took them to a place where it would be a short walk to the plaza where they could observe the fiesta. It was amazing.

"Oh! Look at all the costumes!" Kurt pointed at a group of women in traditional dress with bright colors dancing on the street, followed by more dancers with feathered costumes. Blaine's eyes were huge as the parade of revelers walked and danced along the parade route.

"What are they celebrating?" Kurt said, but not to anyone in particular.

"The traditional fiesta was to deflect evil spirits, but today it is more a celebration of life and happiness, I think," a young girl said, overhearing Kurt. She smiled at the two boys. "Where are you from?"

"We're here on our honeymoon. I'm from Oregon and my husband is from Ohio," Blaine told her. "My name is Blaine and this is Kurt."

"My name is Grace, and I am from right here in Ponce. I'm glad to meet you on such a joyous occasion. I do hope you like our city," she said, excited to meet the beautiful young men.

"Thank you, Grace, we're happy to meet you, too. We are falling in love with Puerto Rico, what a beautiful place this is," Kurt told her.

They turned back to watch as a group of dancers came down the street playing some sort of drums and it was impossible to hear. Vendors walked among the crowd and Kurt bought Blaine some food, a blend of rice and beans with some sort of seafood, and a drink of tropical fruit juices.

"This is delicious, I wonder what the meat is?" Kurt asked, taking another large mouthful.

"That is octopus," Grace told him and had to laugh at the shocked face Kurt made, but he swallowed it and took another bite, sharing with Grace and Blaine. They ate and danced with their new friend, Grace, and tried to sing along with the salsa music that eventually started playing.

"Blaine, sweetheart, we need to get back to the carriage and driver. He's waiting for us," Kurt reminded his husband and they walked slowly back, saying goodbye to Grace and slipping the piece of paper with her email address on it in Kurt's pocket. They were collecting quite a few of these from the people they met along the way.

"Ah, there are my honeymooners!" the driver said, smiling at Kurt and Blaine. "Give me a minute to put my horse back in his harness and we'll get going. Did you love the fiesta?"

"It was fabulous!" Kurt said, holding out a plate of food they'd gotten from the last vendor. It was a plate of fresh seafood: octopus, crab, and shrimp battered and deep fried, served with slices of fried plantain. The driver grinned.

"Oh, thank you...this is my favorite, thank you so much," he said as he took a few pieces and popped them in his mouth. Blaine and Kurt shared another plate under the shade of the trees until the carriage and horse were once more ready to go.

They toured more of the city, admiring the architecture, seeing the famous Parque de Bombas museum, which was once a firehouse. It's Gothic-Moorish-Victorian influences and bright red and black stripes made it something to remember.

At the end of a very full day, the carriage approached the hotel and Blaine and Kurt said goodbye to their driver. He waved as he drove his horse home for a well-earned rest.

"Thank you, Blaine. That was so much better than a canned tour of a not-quite-castle. I had a wonderful time," Kurt bubbled, kissing Blaine on the cheek as they walked back to their room.

"Ah...how many bats are in this cave?" Kurt asked, fear lacing the words.

"Only thirteen species," grinned the tour guide.

"And...do they...ah...interact...with the visitors?" he asked.

"They won't fly in your hair, if that's what you mean. However, we do suggest you wear the plastic hoods to protect yourself from anything of the liquid variety that might drop from above," the man suggested, once again grinning.

"Blaine, what have you gotten me into? First it was milking goats, then traipsing through the woods stepping in horse...ah...road apples, now I get peed on by bats?" Kurt whisper-shouted at his husband.

"Oh, my delicate flower, we have a luxurious room in a very expensive hotel and I'm pretty sure it's equipped with a shower. Now, stay close and I'll keep you safe from any cave-dwelling monsters. Okay?" Blaine offered gallantly.

"All right." Kurt tried to smile. He'd do anything for Blaine. Anything. Even this.

Once inside the cave, Kurt forgot about the bats. It was a wondrous scene, light and shadow played on the rock walls, revealing interesting shapes and colors as they walked down the path.

"The Camuy River is the third largest underground river in the world. We have mapped over ten miles of caves presently, and experts say there may be as many as 800 more limestone caves in this system." The tour guide went on with the statistics of the caves while Kurt and Blaine, holding hands tightly, marveled at the things they saw: huge stalactites and stalagmites, some looking as if they held up the roof of the cave. The stars shone in through the huge overhead holes where moss and other plants hung over the edges like some sort of green food dripping down giant soup pots.

"Blaine, this is...incredible!" Kurt murmured as he stared at the cave, completely mesmerized. Blaine smiled. He knew Kurt would love it once he got him into the cave. The hardest part was that the tour was at night and Kurt was very afraid of bats. Blaine had finally gotten his husband to admit he'd never been near enough to a bat to even see it clearly and Blaine won the disagreement when he used his sad puppy eyes and then placed tiny kisses all over his face. Blaine smirked at the memory, but quickly schooled his face to sobriety when Kurt glanced at him.

"This parlor of the extended cave is 700 feet long and 215 feet high," the tour guide was saying, but Kurt's open mouth and bright eyes probably didn't register in his conscious mind. He was gripping Blaine's hand tighter and tighter as he looked up and got a bit of vertigo, but Blaine was there to catch him as he leaned back too far.

"Hey, Alice, how was the fall into Wonderland?" Blaine kidded and Kurt laughed.

"Sorry, I guess I am being silly, but it's so...so...? I hate to say amazing one more time, but really? Unearthly doesn't make sense. Maybe incredible or stupendous?" Kurt said.

"Wait, what did the guide just say?" Blaine asked. The sun had set and when the guide turned on the floodlights so the tourists could see the inside structure of the cave, about ten thousand bats took off from the depths of the cave, all boiling out of the hole in the roof of the part Kurt and Blaine and the rest of the tourists were standing. The noise was deafening and they could feel the wind whipped up by so many leather wings all beating at once. It took less than five minutes for all of those bats to wing their way into the night.

Kurt and Blaine stood stock still, just like the rest of the tourists. The tour guide tried to hide his smile, but it was his favorite part of the night. People were never prepared for that. He checked for Kurt, just to be sure he wasn't having a panic attack. It was funny to see the surprise on the tourists' faces, but the man was not cruel and he was fully prepared to calm someone down if the were truly afraid. He glanced around and finally spotted the honeymooners. He's been concerned about Kurt. He laughed to himself: Kurt was standing straight, seemingly calm while he held Blaine close to his chest – combing his fingers through the silky curls and whispering to him. Well, the tour guide thought, he'd seen stranger things.

"Hey, you have to delete that!" Blaine said, looking through the pictures they had taken on the trip and stored in Kurt's cell phone. "How did you get it anyway?"

"The kid that spoke to us on the way in, Roger - the redhead with the cute freckles that said he was from New Jersey? He took it. I saw the flash and asked him to send it to me," Kurt said, grinning at his quick witted maneuver to get the embarrassing picture of Blaine freaking out with the bats flying all around him. Actually, the bats were probably a hundred feet from him, but the angle of the cell phone camera that captured it made it look as if they were right on top of him.

"When did you do that?" Blaine asked, whining a little.

"While you had your head buried in my armpit, dear. I'm pretty sure you didn't hear a word," Kurt smirked again. This was rich. He planned to tease Blaine for quite a while over it, too.

Blaine rolled his eyes and said nothing, pretending it wasn't getting to him.

"Look at that...and they say I'm pale. Why Blaine... you look positively...fish belly white in this picture. I think I'll send a copy to Cooper. And Puck. You know, just as a memento of what a great time we're having," Kurt continued. This is where he made his mistake, however. He should have been watching Blaine, especially because he was wearing his Prada shirt that he'd bought just for this trip. It was bright purple, the softest silk, hand-wash only in cool water. Blaine saw his moment and scooped Kurt up in his arms, running the short way to the beach and dunking them both under the incoming wave. By the time they came up, the shirt was a funny faded lavender and was bleeding purple stains all over Kurt's new Tommy Hilfiger white linen beach shorts. Kurt just stood on the sand, a few feet from Blaine, his eyes like dinner plates. He took a big breath and took off, running towards Blaine with fire in his eyes.

"Blaine Devon Anderson, you better give up and come here right now. Now. If I catch you..." Kurt followed Blaine, in and out of the waves and down the beach in the setting sun. They were on a private beach in Dorado, spending the last few days alone to enjoy themselves for the honeymoon. They hadn't come out of the cottage for days, but they had to get to the airport tomorrow and were meeting Jose in the morning for lunch at his house.

Kurt was gaining on his husband when Blaine tripped in the sand and Kurt couldn't stop quickly in his bare feet, so he fell over Blaine in a pile of arms and legs. They both sat up laughing, kissing and hugging and enjoying every minute of it.

"Oh, Blaine, I love you so much," Kurt laughed, calming down enough to climb off of his husband's stomach and untangle their legs. Blaine was grinning from ear to ear. He pulled Kurt down on top of himself, then rolled on top of him. Kurt struggled for a few moments, but stilled when Blaine's lips sought his out. They kissed, Blaine grinding down on Kurt until he moaned, Kurt's hands cupping Blaine's ass and kneading his buttocks in such a sinful way.

"I love you, too, Kurt. I'm so thankful and so happy you're my husband. I never imagined in my whole life ever being this happy," Blaine said to Kurt as they came up for air.

"I can see us when we're in our seventies, coming here for our anniversary. Do you think it will look the same in fifty years?" Kurt asked, a pensive look on his face.

"Hmm...maybe. I bet it's looked the same out there for a million years," Blaine said, gazing at the setting sun as it shone across the water of the Caribbean Sea. "We'll look different. I'll be bent over with arthritis and my cane will get trapped in the sand, you'll toddle over to help me and fall, narrowly missing breaking your hip, and we'll flounder in the sand," Blaine described his vision.

"As long as we can still do this, I'm okay with that," Kurt said, kissing Blaine the way he was meant to be kissed. They stayed there on the sand, wrapped together as if the world didn't exist around them until the waves came back and splashed over them.

Kurt got up and put out his hand for Blaine, and as they walked toward the little cottage on the private beach that had been their love nest for the week, Kurt stopped them. He looked up in the clear night sky and gazed all around until his face lit up with a glowing smile.

"There it is, Blaine. Shining for us," he whispered, pointing to Orion's Belt.

"Oh, there it is...I know it will always be there for us, Kurt, and our love will last until Orion's Belt fades from the sky forever," Blaine whispered back.

They came together, holding each other as Blaine's soft lips gently kissed Kurt's tender mouth while the stars in Orion's Belt shone down on them.

**Author's Note: Thanks once again to Sophia Michelle. Love you, sweetheart. **

**Again, if you want to see the illustrations, see this chapter on scarvesandcoffee net**


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